


Finding His Way Back

by bruvebanner, roshytsunami



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-16
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-03-23 05:58:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 74,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3757051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bruvebanner/pseuds/bruvebanner, https://archiveofourown.org/users/roshytsunami/pseuds/roshytsunami
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Hulk has been a part of the team for a few years. Sure he smashes and destroys building but he's Hulk it's in his nature to tear things to shreds and the team accepts it; too bad one Avenger Assemble call changes all his efforts. Stupid Gamma dampeners ruin everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Surprise

Clint was shooting at the Hydra agents but they just kept coming.

“Bastards really take their motto of killing one head thousands come too damn serious,” he says as he shoots a switch that takes most of the Hydra agents out. He looks over at Hulk and laughs as the Hydra agents get some sort of dampeners out and begin to use it on the Hulk. Clint turns back to his post taking the other Hydra agents out knowing a little machine won’t hurt the Hulk.

Once the Hydra agents are dealt with he looks for Hulk, “hey big green you can come out now. Cupid is getting worried.”

The Hulk went down without a sound, taking down the Hydra goons with him; the dampeners crawled under his skin and started tugging him back inside, like sewing up a cut, while they forced Bruce from his long, uninterrupted slumber, and when he finally came back into his own body, he lay unconscious and half-naked on the ground, head lolled to the side.

Clint is walking around the deserted area except for knocked out Hydra agents or bodies when he spots a half naked guy. “Shit did he escape from here,” he goes over and checks the guys pulse and gets a weak pulse. “Hey you whoever you are you need to wake up,” he slaps the person on the face lightly trying to wake them up.

For a moment there’s no response, before Bruce’s eyes flutter open and he blinks wide eyes in confusion. Suddenly he spots Clint, and he turns pale, scrambling away from him and going into a crouched position, looking ready to bolt. He didn’t speak, voice too long disused or abused, and instead just let out a string of coughs and a growl.

Clint jumps back seeing Bruce’s eyes open. He watches as the naked guy growls out at him and scrambles into a corner like an animal. Clint raises his hands to show that he is harmless before moving towards the guy. Whatever Hydra did they messed this guy’s brain up.

“I’m Clint, a good guy. I’m not going to hurt you. What’s your name?”

The closer Clint comes, the tenser Bruce’s body becomes, his fists raised and his eyes wild. He doesn’t move to answer, just bares his teeth at Clint for a moment, before he glances down, trying to think, put his big brain back into order, because suddenly his name was hard to find, and his voice didn’t want to cooperate. His snarl falls as his face turns into a muddled look of confusion and rising fear.

Clint backs off and just squats a few feet away from the man looking at him before grimacing.

“They must have done a number on you little guy,” he holds out his hand, “come on man let’s get you to medical and get those scratches checked out.”

He looks at the man snarling wondering if he should just call animal control or tranq the guy first. It seemed easier if he could just knock the guy out and carry him to medical but Shield protocol wasn’t like that and there would be too much paperwork and Phil would yell at him. He sighs and tries getting closer to the man, “ok until I find your name out your name is going to be,” he looks at him once more and shrugs, “Fluffy cause you are covered in hair man.”

Bruce shakes his head minutely, closing his eyes and pressing an open calm to the side of his head, listening to the muted sounds of the Hulk beating around in there, upset about being locked up. But he couldn’t do anything, and he just let out a small groan, voice a croak, and looked to Clint, before looking at his naked self and frowning with a furrowed brow. His name still wouldn’t come to his tongue, and he simply let out another sigh, watching the archer wearily and straightening with difficulty.

Clint watches the exchange and raises and eyebrow. Oh yeah this dude was gone, long gone.

“Come on Fluffy let’s get you checked out,” he says leading the man to medical.

Clint stays in front of the man looking back every so often to make sure the guy is following him and hasn’t gone cationic yet. He looks around the wreckage and shouts for Hulk to come out.

“Hulk come on man Cupid needs to know you’re ok.”

Bruce slumps after the archer, hunched low and glancing in paranoia all around him, skittering over scattered rocks, not quite in control of his movements, limbs trembling and heavy.  
And when he hears ‘Hulk’, he gives a full body flinch and finds his voice. “Hulk? Hu-ulk? No, no, not Hulk, no more, wait, wait—” And he breaks off, covers his face with his hands, and groans. “No, no, please.”

Clint turns around hearing the man speak and panic. “Hulk’s a good guy Fluffy and hey…” he doesn’t have time to do anything as he watches the man groan in pain and change into another form getting larger. He notches his arrow and trains it at the creature. Hydra might have done something irreparable to this guy and if they had it would be best to take him out of his misery.

He aims the bow at the man watching the man groan in pain and appear to get larger.

Bruce groans again, pulling at his hair in desperation. “Hulk, no, not yet, no, /please/!” But it took only a moment longer for the Hulk to grab control as Bruce turned his eyes towards Clint, wide and brown, before they fused green with the rest of him.

Clint watches as the man before him turns into the Hulk. He’s confused, “the fuck was that?”


	2. Cake Solves Everything

He looks up at Hulk steaming, “Hulk who the hell was that? Are you two people or am I just losing my mind?”

Hulk grunts, shaking his head and growling as he drops to a crouch, shoulders heaving. The dampeners had really done a number on him—he hadn’t let Banner out in ages.   
“Puny Banner,” Hulk growled, turning to Clint.

“He makes me. Live here,” he pointed to his head, before snarling at the sounds of Bruce still shifting around in his head, scrabbling to stay awake, “he weak. I strong. He live inside. I win.”

Clint listens to Hulk and his eyes widen in shock, “shit Jade Jaws you mean you keep him prisoner in your head like he did?” He shakes his head and looks at Hulk crouched over, “let’s get you on the jet before we talk more about this here. The team needs to know man. Hey can you make it to the jet or do ya want some help?”

The Hulk huffed, looking annoyed, before he started stalking off ahead, “Banner bad. And dumb. He stay in,” and then he glanced towards the archer, scowling darkly, “and Hulk not /puny/ like Banner. Hulk take care of self.”

“Banner? That’s his name,” he says shaking his head, “oh yeah you’re so big and strong you were hunched over for shits and giggles. We gotta find out what they shot you with Jade Jaws cause you weren’t so strong a few minutes ago.”

The Hulk snarls, but his shoulders are still slumped, and he drags his bare feet a bit. “Gamma dampeners,” he says, though he realizes a moment later it’s Banner still awake in his head who supplies to answer. He forces the little voice down, “Hulk fine. Cupid leave with Hulk now?”

Clint looks over his shoulder at him, “and you know stuff about Gamma dampeners? Huh makes sense you’re radioactive,” he grins at Hulk. “All come on Jade Jaws a pun on that song and yeah we’re leaving,” he says pointing with his arrow at the jet.

Clint walks to the jet and gets on with Hulk before looking at him. It’s not the time or place but when has Clint ever listened to stuff like that. He looks at Hulk again and talks to him as soon as the hanger is up.

“So this Banner guy lives in your head Jade Jaws…you know we need to get that checked out make sure you aren’t losing it or have a piece of something stuck in ya like the Loki thing with me.”

Hulk huffed, looking away and crossing his arms over his chest pouting, “Banner dumb. Hulk no care about puny Banner. And Banner not ‘something’, he part of Hulk.” The Hulk frowned, glancing over at Clint with a big scowl on his face, “he make me.”

Clint pokes Hulk in the chest, “hey there buddy you better care about Banner cause it’s weird having another guy in your head alright.” He pauses and realizes what Hulk just said, “whoa whoa whoa you mean Banner is in your head? Like the Bruce Banner guy that died in that Gamma bomb incident? That doesn’t make sense he’s dead Hulk.”

Hulk looked at Clint with confusion, “Banner no die. Banner make me. Hulk keep Banner alive.” He remembered being born in that explosion, the pain and confusion, the raging screams from the man inside his head, “Banner run away from people after Hulk, keep Hulk locked up and run away.”

“No Shield Intel said he was dead,” he frowns, “the military was hunting you down and…aw shit the military gave us the Intel. Hulk this changes everything if Bruce, Banner whatever his name is inside your head you need help. Cause if he’s a real enough person like you, you need to let him out. Ha this is a timeshare’s nightmare,” he laughs rubbing the back of his head confused with the new information he got.

If Hulk had been out all this time then Banner had been stuck inside the Hulk for years. Why would any human do that? Why unleash Hulk like that? Then again Hulk is the strongest there is or so he says so maybe he pushed Bruce back? Clint shakes his head, “this is some sci-fiction BS that’s what it is.”

Hulk narrowed his eyes, “Hulk go away? No, Hulk no let puny Banner out! Hulk no go away!” He was getting upset, and he glared at Clint with dark, burning green eyes, “Banner stay inside forever!”

Clint stands up looking up at him, “no way buddy. He needs to get out. You get half custody of the body otherwise you might kill him. Did you even see how shitty he looked when you got hurt? Hulk you need to let him out sometimes. Talk to him do whatever you guys do to communicate and work something out otherwise we’re going to force Bruce out your choice big man.”

Clint sighs, “it’s not healthy to keep a guy in a cage. You should know that better than anyone.”

Hulk just glared down at Clint, arms crossed over his broad chest, “what if Banner keep Hulk locked up? What if Banner get /rid/ of Hulk,” he asked angrily, though the thoughts did upset him. What if they let Banner out and didn’t want Hulk anymore? Banner couldn’t steal Hulk’s friends! “Hulk no care about Banner. Hulk be happy if he leave.”

“Hey I’ll make sure this Banner guy doesn’t lock you up Jade Jaws. Promise, but ya gotta trust me on this one alright.”

Clint raises a brow at the outburst and crosses his arms, “yeah there’s no such thing as a splitter for you guys so you’re stuck.”

Hulk just huffed and tried ignoring Clint for a moment, before his shoulders slump, “Cupid promise not let puny Banner lock Hulk up? Hulk no want disappear.”

He didn’t like the idea of letting Banner back out, mostly because that would mean he had to go back in, and wouldn’t be able to stop him from doing something stupid while Hulk slept. But Hulk trusted Clint; Clint was his friend.

Clint grins at him, “I promise big guy. I won’t let Banner lock you up. Why don’t you chill while we get flown back to the base alright.”

Clint really wasn’t good with words and didn’t know what to else to say to Hulk. I mean really what do you say to a person who is literally a Jekyll and Hyde rolled into one? Shit this was going to be tough if this Banner guy couldn’t speak. How would he turn him back into the Hulk? Gamma dampeners made him de-hulk so more gamma should re-hulk him right?

Clint sits next to Hulk and sighs as the jet is flown back to the Avengers tower with the other tired Avengers. Clint jump off the jet once it is slightly landed and begins walking to the kitchen. “I call dibs on the peanut butter,” he yells as he grabs a jar and spoon and begins to eat it right out of the container sitting on the counter.

Hulk comes stalking out after Clint, and hulking form still sulking as he comes to sit down near Clint. “If Hulk go away, Hulk want cake first. Hulk deserve it,” he nodded resolutely, as though this were /the/ most important fact in the world.

Meanwhile, the other Avengers came shuffling towards the kitchen, with Tony going straight to grab the jar of peanut butter from Clint’s hand.  
“That’s unsanitary Legolas, that is communal peanut butter,” he scolds, smirking.

“Unsanitary would be spitting in it Stark now get Big Green some cake chop chop,” he teases Tony pretending Tony is a maid before jumping off the counter to find another snack since his peanut butter was taken away.

He finds a bag of chips and opens it before he begins to eat them. After a few chips he looks over at the team and sighs, “hey did you guys know Hulk has Banner in his head and he can literally go Jekyll and Hyde. Seriously the Banner guy looks like I could break him with my pinky.”

He takes another scoop of chips and munches on them. Steve looks at him confused, “reports said Banner was killed. It must have been another man.”

“Naw Jade Jaws was huge one moment then shrunk down to Banner. Real skinny guy ton of freckles.”

Tony looks back from where he’d been scrounging in the fridge, looking confused, “Hulk can do a Jekyll and Hyde switch and we never knew?”

Hulk huffs, displeased, but shrugs his massive shoulders, “Banner make me,” he repeats, just like he told Clint. “Banner in here,” he points to his head.

Natasha rests back against the counter-top, eyebrow raised. “So…he’s stuck in there? Is that safe? What was he like, Clint, besides small?”

He shrugs his shoulders, “scared as a jack rabbit. He hasn’t been out in years according to Hulk and last time he was out he made Hulk stay inside the whole time and ran.” He munches on some chips thinking, “oh yeah couldn’t speak or anything almost as if he was feral or something but then Hulk started to come back and push Banner back so that time he was talking.” Clint thinks to himself Banner was yelling as he changed. It must have hurt going from five foot something to over nine feet tall.

Steve paces and looks at Hulk, “so there is another man living in Hulk’s body and he hasn’t been out for years? That sounds worse than a prison.” Steve goes over to Hulk and looks at him, “Hulk you need to let this Banner guy out. One so we can talk to him and figure out his side of the story and if he can be trusted or not and two it doesn’t sound like he is doing well staying stuck inside your head.”

Hulk looks down, feeling chastised, and grumbles, arms crossed over his chest, “Hulk no wanna go away,” he mumbles again, before Tony jumps in.  
“Buddy, that sounds like hell for both of you. How’s about I get you a /huge/ thank you cake once you come back out, huh? It’ll be great!” He was grinning, “and come on, making new friends and all!”

Natasha rolled her eyes, but looked towards Hulk with thoughtful eyes. “We need to assess any threats, Hulk. Come on.”

Hulk grumbles a bit more, but he eventually sighs and nods, looking around at his friends.

Tony grinned. “Good! I’m definitely throwing a ‘thanks for retreating into your own brain for a bit’ party for you when you get back!”

Clint smiles at Hulk, “dude make Tony get two sheet cakes one for you and me so we can split it,” he grins.

Steve gives him a stare down and shakes his head, “Hulk please we need to see how dangerous this Banner guy is? What if he’s not safe in your head?”

“Aw Cap give him a break let him eat his cake first before switching into that other guy,” Clint says finishing his chips and throwing the bag away. “Come on Steve can’t we wait just a little bit. I mean really what’s a few more minutes compared to years,” he says giving Steve the puppy dog eyes.

Steve sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, “that doesn’t work on me but Hulk can finish his cake first, and then we need to assess Banner.”

“Got ya Cap cake then Banner sound good buddy,” he asks looking at Hulk.

Hulk nodded, his pout turning into a slight smile, “yes. Cake first.”

He looked to Tony, who was already snapping open his phone and ordering two cakes, smirking, “Y’all want ice cream cakes or what? You know what, no, double chocolate, and throw in a third one for the rest of us, I want some cake,” he flipped his phone shut, grinning. “Twenty-minutes, we’ll have cake, and whenever you finish we’ll have either a new friend or a new enemy, this is so exciting.”

Clint rolls his eyes at Tony, “Tony I’d rather not this Banner guy be an enemy. I don’t want to have to shoot this guy and piss Hulk off,” he sighs and looks over at Hulk, “hear that Jade Jaws. If this guy is a douche or an enemy you can keep him locked up forever got it.”

Twenty minutes on the dot later the cake has arrived and Clint is already eating some of his cake with his hands, “what Hulk can eat with his hands don’t judge me,” he says as he pops a piece of cake into his mouth.

Hulk grins, chocolate already covering his mouth and teeth, and Tony and Natasha both stare at them in varied degrees of grossed out and unamused.

“You guys are such children,” Natasha muttered, rolling her eyes.

Tony turned around in a huff with his own slice of cake, “you guys are gonna turn me off my cake, dear god.”

Clint smirks at Tony, “hey Tony look,” he says opening his mouth to show him half chewed cake before he swallows it. Steve shakes his head as he takes his own slice of cake and begins to eat it.

“I think we should save a piece for Banner. Might make him more reasonable when he gets here,” said Steve eating his cake.

Clint shrugs his shoulder and saves a big slice for the Banner guy before going back and eating his cake. Clint finishes half the sheet before giving the rest to Hulk to finish off. He cleans his hands off before crossing his arms and looking at Hulk. “You ready Hulk?”

Hulk’s face was full of cake, and when Clint finally finished he quietly pouted, before wiping off his mouth and nodding. “Hulk come back, right,” he asked.

Tony looked over at him, scoffing, “of /course/ you’re comin’ back; we don’t know Banner. You’re /our/ friend,” he said resolutely, before he rested back against the counter. “So, what, you just shrink into some weird little dude? Awesome! Jarvis, take scans!”

Hulk rolled his eyes, before he stood up, looking around at everyone. Natasha watched with a raised brow, and Jarvis scanned, as Hulk furrowed his brow.

“Come out, Banner,” he muttered, growling, before he let out a snarl, rubbed his brow, and hunched forward as though in pain.

His body began to shrink, joints jerking and body spasming, and he collapsed down to one knee, green in his skin fading to pale white, ivory splattered with freckles, his dark hair curling and growing longer, and, finally, he was gone, and a small, limp body collapsed to the ground, a sound of pain escaping his lips.

Clint nods his head at Tony’s comment trying to reassure Hulk. After that he steps back from Hulk and watches him begin to shrink. He keeps his resting face on while inside his head he keeps saying holy shit over and over again.

He watches as Banner falls to the ground in pain lying down on the ground. Steve frowns and helps Banner up and sits him in a chair.

“You don’t just stand around when someone is in pain,” he looks at Banner, “are you Bruce Banner?”

Bruce didn’t react at first, head lolling as Steve propped him up, and for a moment he just sat, pained and silent. He didn’t react to his name, head down and breathing heavy, before finally he looked up, eyes blinking blearily around the room, and Tony grinned, bright and friendly, “yeah, that’s him! I’ve seen him before; studied his work!”

Bruce stared over at Tony, before he jerked up out of the chair, legs wobbly and tripping, and he gripped the tatters of his pants, looking to the closest person to him—Steve—and let out a fearful noise, stumbling away.

Steve looks over at Tony, “quiet Stark,” he says curtly. Tony had more than likely startled and scared the guy. Steve is taken back by the roar and raises his hands to show that he isn’t attacking him, “Banner we don’t want to hurt you…”

Clint rolls his eyes, “Steve he can’t understand you right now. He’s just a feral animal.” Clint grabs the slice of cake and slides it to Bruce, “eat.” He watches Bruce before he walks over to him and squats down next to him and looks him in the eyes, “remember me dude, saved your ass when those Gamma Dampeners went off?”

Bruce stared first at Steve, crouching and trying to keep an eye on everyone around him without getting cornered, trembling as they spoke, before Clint slid cake his way, and he stared at it like he hadn’t seen food in years.

Because he hadn’t.

He reached out tentatively, before swiping the plate his way, and scooting away slightly when Clint came towards him, squinting at him. He stared at Clint intently, before he leaned forward, looking him in the eye, still gripping the plate of cake against himself. His lips tried to form words, but nothing much came out, and he grunted in frustration.

Clint watches Banner closely as he takes the cake quickly. He sees Bruce squint and gets closer to him so he can see him, “guess you need glasses Banner. Hey don’t force the words out. Just calm down and take a few breaths alright man,” he says almost reaching out to pat him on the back but thinking better of it. He doesn’t want to scare the guy, because right now Banner looks like a deer in headlights.

Steve stands up and begins to look over Bruce and sighs, “I can make a sandwich for him. Clint you can slide it to him since he seems more mellow around you right now.”

Clint keeps watching Bruce not turning to look at Steve, “yeah got it Cap.”           

Bruce looks between them, still squinting slightly, and his fingers tremble as he tries to set down the cake, unsure of whether or not he could eat it. When he looks back up, he stares at Clint. “Cl…,” he furrows his brow, lips curling in anger, before he looks back up, “Clint?”

He cocks his head, leaning forward again, before he jerks back, rubbing his eyes anxiously, “Clint…C…Cupid?”

Tony watched him, enthralled, and frowned, “this guy is screwed up for sure. How long’s he been in there?”

Natasha shrugged. “Too long?”

Steve slaps Tony in the arm, “Tony think of it as being in a cave for years understand,” he says frowning at Tony. Steve goes back to the kitchen to make Bruce something to eat.

Clint nods his head when Bruce speaks, “Yeah I’m Clint or Cupid. You can call me whichever one is easier Jade Jaws does…uh that’s the Hulk’s nickname. Hey eat the cake it’s fucking awesome ate half a sheet of it,” he smiles at him not moving and trying to be open and calm with the Banner guy.

It was weird this guy was a whole different person. He could see his bone poking out from beneath his skin. Freckles covered his body and hair everywhere, not to mention the bags under his eyes. Does this Banner guy not sleep when he’s stuck in the Hulk. The whole thing was a weird sci-fi magic experience. Something Clint hated ever since Loki.

Steve comes back a minute later with a sandwich and a Gatorade bottle and gives them to Clint. Clint nods his thank and looks back at Bruce as Steve backs away from them both. “Hey Banner why don’t you eat some real food and get a drink too. I bet you’re starving man,” he says sliding the food and drink to him.

Tony cringed at the thought, and watched Bruce with renewed sympathy, frowning, “he was a genius,” he said absently, to no one in particular, “what a shame.”

Bruce shook his head when Clint said the Hulk’s name, cringing slightly, before he swallowed, looking to the real food he was offered. He reached out, tentatively picking at the sandwich and dipping his head down to pop a piece of crumb into his mouth, as though confused by the concept, before he grabbed the entire thing and kept his head down, taking a huge bite, famished, and finishes it as quickly as he can force it.

“He’s going to choke,” Natasha mumbled, worried.

“Naw he won’t choke. Just eating like a man Natasha,” he grins back at her. “Hey Banner you’re freaking Natasha out why don’t you drink some of the Gatorade and wash the stuff down so she can calm down. She can’t handle how men eat,” he chuckles.

Bruce glanced with wide eyes from Natasha to Clint, a furrow coming between his brows, before he looked to the bottle of Gatorade and set his sandwich down, picking it up and taking a large gulp, letting out a pained gasp as he took his first drink in years. His throat felt raw, ragged, and he closed his eyes, scrubbing his forearm over his face.

“Shut up, Clint; men are definitely not frightening,” Natasha replied, watching the skinny man with narrowed eyes.

“Natasha a guy with his plate of food is really scary. He will chop your hand off if you even think about touching it, “Clint says seriously.

Clint lifts an eyebrow, “Banner drink it slowly and it won’t hurt as much. Trust me on that one.” He watches Banner eat and drink his food before standing up slowly hands raised, “not gonna hurt ya just get you some snacks. You looked starved gotta get some meat on them bones.”

Clint knew the best for of bribery to a hungry man was food he also knew it could be used as a weapon. Surprisingly Banner just seemed to want to eat his fill and wasn’t doing much else. He didn’t seem evil but looks could be deceiving and he hadn’t heard a word out of him besides ‘Clint’ or ‘Cupid’.

Bruce watched Clint go with wide, curious eyes, chewing slowly and taking slower, more careful sips, as suggested. He didn’t speak, just lowered himself completely to sit on the ground, hunching slightly and glancing distrustfully at the others around him.

Clint seemed trustworthy. He was careful and smiled and didn’t seem to look at Bruce strangely. The others were strange, not nearly as fondly thought of in his head. Bruce didn’t know what to do, or to say, and couldn’t figure out what was going on beyond the food in his hand and the people staring at him, and so he gripped tight the only thing he could find that was worth his trust.

Once Banner looks like he wouldn’t pounce on him and kill him, Clint heads to the kitchen and begins to pile a plate up with various foods for Bruce to eat. He brings the plate over and slides it to him.

“Hey Banner you can’t just keep eating without saying anything. How about you tell us your name or something simple,” he asks squatting next to Bruce. Clint is a bit out of his element with this guy…ok maybe a lot. He doesn’t know exactly what to say. Cap isn’t getting close to Banner because of the freak out earlier so he guesses he’s going to be the handler. Fuck he doesn’t know how to do that Phil is better at that crap.

Bruce stares at him, before he swallows the food already in his mouth and blinks, shuttering. “Eh…” He frowns, setting everything aside and rubbing his hands together, getting rid of crumbs and focusing on his words. “Br-Br-Bruce,” he manages to stammer out, grimacing, “Br-Bruce Banner…?”

He felt sure of it, but it’d been so long, so very, very long.

Clint grins, “yeah that’s your name. Can you say anything else yet? If not just shake your head no. It’s cool.”

Steve speaks to Clint, “Clint we need to ask him questions. We can ask yes or no questions and see if he is all there or not.”

He looks over at Bruce and sighs, “we’re going to ask you some yes and no questions think you can do that?”

Bruce looked between Clint and Steve, feeling his hackles rise slightly—the other man thought he was broken, thought he was stupid, didn’t he? Didn’t think he was all right in the head? Bruce’s lip curled in anger, but he kept it down, looking to Clint and nodding slightly. He could answer yes or no questions.  
He wasn’t stupid.  
Tony leaned forward on the balls of his feet, watching with interest as Bruce glanced nervously between Clint and Steve.

Clint smiles, “all right first question are you a part of Hydra or do you work with them at all?”                      

Bruce furrowed his brow in confusion, before shaking his head.

Tony snorted, rolling his eyes and muttering to himself, “Yeah, he’s Hydra, totally,” but Natasha elbowed him so he shut up.

Clint glares at Tony, “dude you don’t know if he came out in the middle of the night or controlled Hulk or some shit so shut it. Ok next one are you gonna kill us or compromise us?”

Bruce’s eyes went wide, before he shook his head even more. Kill them! The thought was absurd, and for a moment he was nearly himself, staring at Clint like he was crazy. And then he just shook ahead and waited for the next question.

Clint sees a flash of something different in Banner but then he goes right back to acting like a scared baby. Interesting. “Ok I’m good any questions from anyone else, Natasha?”

"Are you and Hulk connected? Can you talk to him?" Natasha asked instantly, curious as she raised a brow at the man.

Bruce looked at her, for a long moment, before shaking his head. “Sleep,” he said suddenly, voice a hoarse croak. He tapped his head, “sleep,” he repeated, struggling to get his point across.

“So he just sleeps in your head?” Tony supplied, and when Bruce nodded he raised a brow. “Did you sleep for all those years.”

At that, Bruce stayed silent, lowered his head, and shrugged his frail, pale shoulders.

Clint listens to Bruce explain or try to explain and frowns. He wonders if Bruce had been asleep all those years or if he was watching everything the Hulk did through Hulk’s eyes and not his own. That had to suck, stuck in a body you can’t control or be heard in. The silence, the loneliness, the nothingness…he hoped Bruce hadn’t gone through that.

Steve speaks up, “He’s not Hydra and he’s not going to kill us and Hulk is asleep. I think for now we can consider him a low threat. Last question will Hulk come out if we call for him? How does that work for you both?”

Bruce glanced up from beneath his lashes, squinting towards Steve, before he swallowed and straightened, gesturing towards himself, “str-stress,” he mumbles, hands trembling. “Stress…wakes him.” His breath was ragged for a moment, like he was fighting a cough, and he curled down on himself. “L-leave,” he asked, looking haggard and suddenly scared they would send him back, push him back inside now that he wasn’t a threat. He didn’t want to go back. Not yet. It was too soon, too soon, he couldn’t handle leaving yet!

Clint knew that look. The look of a cornered animal, “hey guys he answered the question let’s let him chill and get some rest maybe some better pants,” he says looking at him.

He pulls Bruce up, “shit your skinny but hey you can borrow my clothes for now alright freckles,” he said patting him on the back. He wasn’t trying to be forceful but he didn’t want the guy freaking out over everyone and maybe touch would calm him down…or blow up in his face.

Bruce flinched in surprise at the sudden contact, a soft rush of breath the only sound he made, and realized with a chill it had been years since he’d touched anyone.

/Anyone/.

He swallowed, standing slumped and awkward as the others nodded, glancing at each other.

“Yeah, let him rest, I’ll order some, like, protein shakes for him,” Tony said quickly, snapping his phone out. “Give him one of the guest rooms or something; those should work, right?”

Natasha hushed him, looking towards the shivering man, and glanced to Clint. “You got him,” she asked, glancing Bruce up and down with a quick, calculating look that made him shuffle back, as though to hide behind Clint.

“Yeah yeah I got him. He can sleep in a guest room,” Clint says to Nat as he pushes Bruce through the door with no effort before waving him down, “come on man this way,” he said going up the stairs two at a time before stopping at the top for Bruce.

Bruce followed him up the stairs tentatively, gripping his torn pants and squinting at the stairs, gingerly making sure he didn’t trip.

Once he reached the top he felt out of breath, and slightly flushed, and felt all the worse for it.

Clint looks at the flushed man and grimaces, “sorry I thought you could handle it. You against me carrying you over my back to your room? It’s all the way down at the end.” Clint sees him squint, “shit I should have asked Tony to get you a set of glasses. Hey Jarvis scan Bruce’s eyes and see if you can get some type of glasses for him ordered,” he yells at the ceiling.

Bruce’s flush only got worse; he hated being weak, but he couldn’t very well refuse help at the moment, could he? Bruce furrows his brow in confusion, glancing up to where Clint shouted, and blinking in surprise at the voice that answered.

“As you wish, Master Barton,” he replied, and Bruce’s eyes lit up with fascination for a moment, weak legs and tired lungs forgotten in favor of science.

“Thanks Jarvis,” replies Clint looking at Bruce smiling. Bruce Banner whoever that guy was, was still in there somewhere. He looked amazed when he talked to Jarvis. “That’s Jarvis he’s an AI you can ask him for anything and he’ll help you. Tony made him and everything. He’s also good to talk to about private stuff if you need it,” says Clint shifting his feet.

Clint grins at Bruce, “he’s a good listener and Tony did make him so expect some serious sarcasm coming your way.” He looks at Bruce holding his pants and shaking, “I’m going to touch you now Bruce alright.”

He goes over to Bruce and picks him up bridal style, “eh this way might be easier and nicer on your legs freckles.” He begins to carry Bruce chatting about nothing and everything as he shows him the various rooms on the floor and who is in which room.

“Yeah my room is right there and then you have Hulk’s room and then the guest room is all the way back here,” he opens the door using one hand making sure Bruce is holding onto him before he steps inside and sets Bruce down.

“Shower and bathroom is over here, you have a mini fridge there and a kitchenette plus the best thing in the room a bed. Stark went all out and bought the fluffiest and best beds in the world Bruce go try it out man,” he says pushing him towards the bed.

Bruce had gripped Clint carefully, half-frightened and half touch-starved, his face a permanent red flush, and when they finally made it to his room he shuffled awkwardly for a moment, staring about and trying to figure out exactly what he should do, before Clint herded him towards the bed, where he gingerly sat down, as though worried he might break it, and gulped, glancing around.

“My room now?” He asked, forcing the sentence out with some difficulty as he looked up at Clint with wide eyes.

Clint seemed so kind, so open. He could trust him. Bruce wasn’t sure of the others, but he was sure he could trust Clint. The bed he sat on was soft, and as he looked towards Clint he shifted atop it, touching the smooth sheets with trembling fingers. Everything was softer—or harder—than he remembered.

Clint grins and nods his head, “yeah it’s yours for now just don’t betray us and you can stay here I guess. I don’t know yet it’s up to Cap and Hulk. Don’t panic I’m working on Jade Jaws to let you out sometimes like a custody thing? I don’t know but if you can talk to him in your head or something talk to him and figure out what ya wanna do alright.”

He sighs a little tired, “need anything just ask Jarvis he’ll lead you to the kitchen or your own bathroom,” Clint chuckles to himself, “yeah two bottles of tequila was a bad idea that night.”

He looks over at Bruce and keeps his resting face on but internally all he is thinking is why is this cute small nerd turning me on? No Hawkeye remember the last relationship that was superhero-ish yeah bad idea man. You don’t even know this guy yet but the damn freckles dear god man.

He clears his throat and goes by the door, “so yeah that’s about it you gonna be alright for the night?”

Bruce looks slightly panicked for a moment—Cupid, /Clint/, is leaving, Bruce is going to be /alone/—before he dips his face down and nods, hands wringing anxiously in his lap.

He didn’t want him to go, didn’t want to be alone—he’d been alone so long, so silent, watching the world pass him by through someone else’s eyes for years, never able to /feel/ what the Hulk felt, only observe in silence, and suddenly the world was so /vibrant/, so /here/, and he could touch it /all/, but he was still so, so alone in it.

But he could handle it. He could sleep. The Hulk wouldn’t come back out for tonight. Tonight Bruce would sleep. Alone.

Clint rubs the back of his head noticing Bruce’s nervousness. He really doesn’t know what to do at this point. He’s never been good at stuff like this usually he just jokes so he doesn’t have to deal with crap like this or Cap takes care of it.

He sighs, “hey Jarvis can you give Bruce a little bit of night light in this room,” he asks the AI. Having a nightlight on helped him when he was kid and this Banner guy was acting like a kid all nervous and scared so it should help right?

Once Jarvis has the room dimmed down to a good tone of light Clint waves at Bruce a last time and exits the room, “night freckles.”

Clint begins to head to his own room and passes by Hulk’s room. He looks inside not seeing Hulk and that is such a weird thing right now. Hulk is now sleeping inside Banner’s body. It’s kind of funny if you think about it a toothpick of a man holding the Hulk at bay for now.

He shakes his head and enters his room and plops down on the bed stretched out wondering what everyone is going to do about Hulk and Banner now. What if they get another mission that needs Hulk, or a villain decides hey going after the Hulk is a good idea? It was not going to be a good day tomorrow. It wouldn’t be a good anything until Hulk and Banner worked something out to share the body. Clint shrugs his shoulders and begins to fall asleep for the night.

Bruce watched Clint leave in resignation, staring at the door for a long, silent moment, before he stood up to go and scrounge through the clothes in the dresser. He just wanted some pants. And he found some, a pair of purple slacks, and for just a moment something felt /familiar/, slipping on a pair of pants and going to lay atop soft sheets. Familiar, like he’d done it a thousand times.

But that’s because he /had/. Hadn’t he? Before…something. Hulk, maybe? There was a time before the Hulk, wasn’t there? Sometimes it was hard to tell; he’d dreamed so much while locked away, he couldn’t remember what was real and what was fiction. What could he believe?

He didn’t sleep much that night, too scared that he’d wake up once more encased within someone else’s mind, and instead stared up at the dimly lit ceiling and tried to separate fact from fiction within his own head; and, of course, memories that were the Hulks, and not quite his own.

By the time he fell unconscious he was no closer to figuring it out then he was before.


	3. Morning Bruce

Clint struggles to get up the next morning. Coffee was essential for him waking up, and the last pot had been drunk so he made a fresh one and stole the coffee pot going back to his room. It was all his coffee all his. Once he’s gulped down most of it he gets dressed and brings the half empty coffee pot to Bruce’s guest room and knocks on the door.

“Hey Bruce you up man,” he asks drinking more coffee from the coffee pot mug.

Bruce had been daydreaming, curled tight atop the sheets on the bed, and he’d almost had it, he was sure of it, almost had something important grasped in his hand…when the knock at the door came and disrupted him, letting that something flutter away.

He scowled, felt an angry /’Go away Cupid’/ form on his tongue, before he jerked upright in bed.  
No. He was Clint. /Hulk/ called him Cupid.

Bruce wouldn’t call him that.

Bruce struggled to finally answer the door after pulling on some too-big sweater, hunkering down inside it and opening the door tentatively, peeking out at Clint warily.

Clint looks at Bruce and puts on a smile, “hey freckles you want breakfast today or what,” he says as he begins to finish off the pot of coffee, “you better hurry before Thor gets there. Between the two of you…well Hulk and Thor, we go through a ton of food.”

He grins, “hey you found some clothes cool. Stark said to use his black card later today to get you some real clothes. He’ll kill me if I let you wander around in just the sweater and pants. Looks good on ya though,” he smiles and thinks to himself and cute.

Bruce stares up at Clint for a moment, silent, before he ducks his head, nodding. It was hard not to stare. Of course, it was hard not to stare at everything, what with the bleariness of his vision, but he also wanted to soak in the pretty things of the world before he had to go back and Clint was a very pretty thing.

But, food, yes, he wanted food, so he shuffled out of the guest room and into the hallway, slumping his shoulders and standing awkwardly, waiting to follow Clint.

Clint leads Bruce down the hallway heading to the kitchens, “Bruce you’re going to screw your back up hunched over like that walk straight.” Clint shakes his head as he leads Bruce.

This guy was worse than a skittish rabbit and the spider limbs…actually that would be funny scaring a spider. He wonders if he pokes Bruce if he would jump like a spider or not. He battles his temptation and doesn’t do it because he doesn’t want to scare the guy any more than he already is.

Jarvis begins to speak to them, “Mr. Barton the glasses for Mr. Banner have been successfully made. You may retrieve them at the lab.”

“Alright cool. Thanks Jarvis,” he yells to the ceiling.

“You’re welcome Mr. Barton,” replies Jarvis before he goes silent again.

“Just a little detour come on let’s go to the lab first and get your glasses alright Bruce,” he says patting Bruce on the back before pulling away. He forgot that Bruce had just gotten out of being imprisoned in a body…plus he was just a touch and feel guy anyway.

Bruce padded after him quietly; almost grateful that he seemed able to chat without anything on Bruce’s part, and he was glad to hear he would have glasses now.

Had he needed glasses before? Was that a regular thing for him? He tried to remember, but was interrupted when Clint patted his back, and he, proudly, only jumped a little in surprise, recovering quickly.

It’d been too long. He needed to calm down. He needed to…just follow after Clint, maybe walk a bit straighter.

Clint feels bad about the pat on the back seeing Bruce jump but at least he’s still following him down the hallway to the lab. Once outside the door he taps in his code and enters with Bruce and finds a cardboard box labeled glasses.

“Here you go Bruce,” says Clint handing him the box, “try them on.”

Bruce is very careful as he opens the box, and even more so when he gingerly puts the glasses on, blinking as the world suddenly came into sharp focus, little details around him blooming, and he blinks owlish eyes around for a moment, before he remembers; he always wore glasses. Ever since his dad—  
He shakes his head, clearing it, before he looks to Clint, “food,” he asks, tugging the sleeves of his sweater up over his fingers. He’s hungry, and he’s remembering, and he’s not feeling the best.

Fuck he is screwed. Who the hell made those glasses making the guys eyes wider and look more like Bambi doe eyes? Fuck he is so fucked. Damn Bambi eyed jerk.

He shakes his head a bit and sighs, “Yeah let’s get some breakfast trust me you want to see what you eat cause last time Tony decided to cook against Steve not a good thing to do. My mouth tasted like ash for a week. Never eat anything Stark makes got it,” he said looking at Bruce trying to keep a straight face but the damn Bambi eyes were killing him.

Bruce watched him, cocking his head to the side, before he nodded, absently raising his hand to nibble at the edge of his sleeve. “Okay,” he replied quietly.

Don’t eat the food Stark made. He thought he knew which one was Stark—he was pretty sure Hulk and him were…friends? Not as good friends as Clint and Hulk, but close. He was also pretty sure Tony Stark was supposed to be a prick.

Wait. Okay. His head went places. Because /he/ thought that, not Hulk’s thoughts. He remembered the name Tony Stark from…before. Weapons manufacturer. Before Hulk.

/Before/.

It felt amazing to have something like that oriented in his head. So he followed after Clint, feeling a lot better as he nibbled his sleeve in thought.

Clint groans internally. Really? Really he has to nibble on the sleeve like a fucking rabbit. Why Clint? Why is this guy so cute…wait a sec he lives inside Jade Jaws even if you want to date or have a casual fling with the guy Jade Jaws would know. It would be like you were…eck. No offense, Hulk wasn’t bad looking but still bad images.

Clint keeps walking when he turns around and spots Bruce looking happier. He didn’t look like he was smiling or anything but he was still nibbling the shirt. He needed to fix this quick.

“Hey freckles can you not nibble on my sweater so much,” he chuckles trying to make it sound light hearted and not an order, “seriously man what are you part rabbit?”

Bruce’s cheeks pink when Clint asks him if he’s a rabbit, and he ducks his head, wringing his hands in front of him quietly. Nervous habits after years in confinement? He should’ve been over those by now. Apparently not; they were still getting him weird looks years down the road.

Clint chuckles to himself as he enters the kitchen where Steve is making food. Oh god bless America indeed Steve is making pancakes.

“Yo Steve can you plate up some of your awesome American pancakes,” Clint asks holding back his cheer for Steve making pancakes.

Clint takes a seat at the counter table before he gets up again and gets another mug of coffee and some water.

Steve rolls his eyes at Clint and sighs, “pancakes are not officially American Clint…”

“Yeah yeah but when Captain America makes them they are super American pancakes,” he says putting the coffee pot in the sink and putting his new coffee mug on the counter.

Steve shakes his head and looks over at Bruce, “do you like pancakes Bruce?”

When they entered the kitchen he went to one of the stools, facing half the room, where he could still see the doors—the exits, more precisely—and he sat very carefully, still not fully trusting his legs to support him as he sat down.

He glanced over to Steve when addressed, blinking. The smell of the pancakes made his stomach rumble plaintively, and he nodded, curls bobbing.

Steve smiles at him, “alright they should be up in a few minutes. Jam, butter, and syrup are on the table for your pancakes.” Steve hands Clint a plate and he grins excited as he takes the plate to the table. He’s just about to eat when he looks over at Bruce.

He swears sad music from those abused animal commercials starts playing and Bruce has the Bambi eyes and god damnit. He huffs and hands his plate over to Bruce.

“Eat up I can wait for mine.”

Bruce blinks in surprise at the plate suddenly in front of him. He hadn’t minded waiting—he’d waited years, a few minutes wouldn’t kill him—but Clint had just huffed and given him his plate like he’d begged for it.

He tilted his head, confused as he looked at the blond, before he looked down at the plate, reaching out for it.

“Thank you,” he half-whispered, feeling stuck between confused and pleased.

“Welcome freckles now get some toppings on those cakes. Steve makes them so fluffy oh so fluffy,” he sighs before smiling at Bruce.

He lays his head on the counter like a kid and stares at Steve. Steve turns around feeling someone stare at him and sighs flipping the cakes.

“Clint can you not do that. Staring won’t make them cook faster,” he says as he puts another cake on the plate.

“Aw come on cap if I stare at you long enough you look like a cute little housewife making pancakes for her kid and husband,” he teases.

“You want to repeat that around Natasha Clint,” he smirks.

“What no I meant that in the nicest way possible you look cute being domestic is all I meant,” he grumbles.

Bruce watches them silently from the corner of his eye, reaching out to grab some jelly and smear it on top, not bothering with syrup or a fork, just pulling off pieces and eating quietly.

They were very good. Like how…someone he lived with once…used to make. Maybe a woman? He couldn’t recall.

He frowned, but kept eating, and didn’t notice when Tony came into the room until he came up to the counter, smacking his hands down and grinning wildly at Steve.

“Cap, buddy boy, main man, you gonna make dear ol’ Tony some pancakes this mornin’,” he asked, oblivious to the startled, slightly frightened man beside him, who would have gone toppling out of his chair if he hadn’t grabbed the counter-top.

Clint jumps up and looks at Bruce holding the counter top for dear life, “fuck Tony you just scared Bruce. You can’t be making loud noise like that man. Oh and those are my pancakes,” he says jumping out of his seat and getting the pancakes before Tony can. He sticks his tongue out for good measure and begins to put jam butter and syrup on his before rolling it up in a tube to eat it.

Steve grins at Tony, “well I can’t let a teammate starve especially if that teammate can’t cook for himself without burning the kitchen.”

Tony pouts, looking down at a wide-eyed Bruce as he adjusts himself back into his seat, and lets out a long, drawn out sigh, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Sorry, didn’t realize ya’ll wanted me to treat the guy like a /baby/,” he groans, sticking his tongue back out at Clint, before he grins at Steve. “I /also/ supply everyone with the ability to /make/ the food, ya’ll better make me some pancakes.”

Bruce watches him warily, and goes back to his pancakes, before Tony looks at him again. “Oi, you guys are just gonna let him eat with his hands? He’s not /Hulk/—or gross like Clint—make him use a fork.”

Clint glares at Tony, “so he wants to eat and nibble it let him Stark. You’re silver spoon is showing dumbass,” he says taking a bite of pancake, “sides I’m eating mine like a taco it’s not that big a deal.”

Steve just sighs making more pancakes, “Tony if you’re not nice you are not getting any. So sit down and be quiet.”

Clint makes another taco like pancake and looks at Bruce, “you really want a fork or are you fine so Stark will stop busting our chops.”

Tony just rolls his eyes, grumbling as he plops himself onto a stool and lays out on the counter, groaning. “Hurry up, Spangles, I’m /starving/.”

Bruce just stares at Tony for a moment, frowning, before he looks over to Clint, eyes wide, “I’m…okay,” he says gently, before he starts nibbling at his pancakes again. He was getting better at his words, at least.

Steve takes a deep breath and calms down and hands Tony one pancake, “you want more you need to be nice Tony I mean it,” he says giving him the Captain America glare.

Clint chuckles to himself at that comment as he drops the fork issue with Bruce. “Hey Bruce are you a labels guy or can we get clothes anywhere for ya?”

Bruce looked up from his pancakes, furrowing his brow for a moment, before he realized what Clint was asking. “Anywhere…?” He said, though it came out like a question, and he shrugged. He didn’t care much about clothes. He might have…before. But he didn’t care now; the Hulk would just tear them when he came back.

“Steeeeve, you’re so mean to your poor old friend, I’m taking back the friendship bracelets I was making for you,” he groans, before he over hears the conversation going on between Clint and Bruce.   
“Oh god, Clint, are you going to take him to the Goodwill or something? Take him out for something nice, he looks like a hippie; buy him a suit or something, please.”

Steve chuckles as he gives the rest of the pancakes to Tony and makes a plate for himself and sits at the counter.

Clint thinks of Bruce in a suit, with the Bambi eyes, freckles, and floppy hair…yeah not happening.

“Tony it’s what Bruce wants to where I just didn’t know if he had to have your razzle dazzle style of pazza,” he says waving his hands. He finishes off his pancake taco and looks at Bruce.

“Hey Bruce what do you want to wear anyway? Do you really want to wear a suit?”

Tony looked at Bruce expectantly, and he stared back, blinking wide, nervous eyes at him. Tony just huffed, turning to his pancakes—“Steve you’re a fuckin’ god of pancakes, I’m hiring you officially,”—before Bruce wrinkled his nose at Tony’s back, sticking his tongue out at him.

He hated suits.

He looked over to Clint then, “no…suits,” he pulled a face. He tried to think. What did he wear? Before, what did he enjoy?

He wasn’t sure. He started nibbling thoughtfully on his sleeve again, before looking to Clint, “big…stuff,” he said, and gestured to the baggy clothes he was wearing now. He liked this stuff. He’d wear stuff like this for now, until he remembered.

Steve just rolls his eyes eating his food, “Tony the only god here is Thor.”

Clint grins, “ha in your face Tony. Those type of clothes are easy to find you can get clothes that fit too we’ll look at Ross or some other department store first and spend all of Tony’s money,” he sticks his tongue out at Tony.

He takes one last drink of his coffee and water and stands up, “ready freckles?”

Bruce jerks in surprise at a memory, sudden and violent, and he lets out a surprised noise. Tony looks over at him, raising a brow, before Bruce stands up, tugging self-consciously at his sleeves and scuttling towards Clint.

“Not Ross,” is all he says, looking up at Clint seriously. “Not Ross,” he repeats, shaking his head, before he starts chewing on his sleeve.

Tony just stared at him. “Well, have fun shopping with him, Clint,” he said, frowning slightly at the weird little guy.

Clint gives Bruce a rub on the back trying to calm him down, “yeah sure got it. We can go somewhere else promise.” Why would he freak out about going to Ross…oh. He frowns and looks at Bruce sighing as he pulls his sleeve from his mouth.

“You can chew your own sleeves just not mine come on Bruce let’s going shopping with Tony’s card and go over his credit limit,” he grins making a face at Tony.


	4. Fabulous

He leads Bruce away from the kitchen and heads to the garage area to exit out of the Avengers tower. He opens up the garage door and heads outside, “come on freckles times a wasting.”

Bruce shuffles quickly after Clint, adjusting his glasses and trying to stay close on his heels. He didn’t even flinch from his touch this time. Bruce felt slightly proud of that fact.

However; when Clint opened the garage door he stopped. That was…outside. Like, the real world. With the sky, and trees, and /people/. He knew he shouldn’t be, but suddenly he felt terrified. Clint would take care of him. He felt sure of that. But the real world, it’d been years since he’d been in it, and he’d never liked the real world much to begin with.

“Clint?” He called softly, slightly trembling.

Clint turns around and looks at Bruce, “hmm…hey you ok,” he asks worried seeing him shake.

He pauses wondering what he did wrong when he sees that the only thing that has changed is the garage door being open. “Bruce I don’t know what triggered you what’s up? What do you need me to do man?”

Bruce stares at him for a moment, trying to find the words. “Outside,” he says eventually, looking from Clint to the garage door. He shakes his head, pointing at himself. “Years…haven’t been…” He makes a face. “Haven’t been outside…in…years,” he finally forces out, looking up at Clint. It was hard, and he didn’t know why, but at least he got his point across, even if he sounded slightly mental.  
He kept himself from chewing his sleeve.

Clint listens and rubs the back of his head, “oh yeah…hmm well just put one foot in front of the other. I mean do you want me to hold your hand while we walk? Would that make you feel better?”

Clint you idiot why did you suggest that? Oh you know why so you can hold his little skinny scientist hands. Tiny hands like that have to mean something. Keep it together Clint.

Clint just smiles at Bruce, “hey we can always order stuff online thing is I don’t know your size but you can do that if you want?”

Maybe in the past Bruce was less prideful. Maybe he would have just accepted buying things online and left it at that. But just because he was /scared/ didn’t mean he wouldn’t go.

Okay, maybe he was pushing it a bit, but he didn’t want to seem weak. He wasn’t weak.

He was also touch starved and may have been jumping at the idea of holding someone’s hand. That didn’t matter. He just looked up at Clint for a long moment, calculating, before he reached out his hand, letting it poke out from his sleeve, and glanced towards the garage door.

“Go then?”

Clint grins and grabs Bruce’s hand, “sure thing. We are going to wreck Tony’s credit.” He woots before leading him outside making sure to walk slower so Bruce can get accommodated being outside. After a few minutes Clint moves a little faster with Bruce in tow.

His hands were so small and cold. It wasn’t even that cold out and Bruce’s hands felt like ice. Not to mention they felt soft which was really nice. He unconsciously rubs his thumb over the back of Bruce’s hand.

“So freckles we’re going to a big mall so you can choose the clothes you want alright,” he says giving Bruce’s hand a small squeeze.

He keeps walking with Bruce until they reach the big mall. He has to let go of Bruce’s hand to open the door but once inside he grabs Bruce’s hand again thinking to himself he’ only doing it to keep the guy calm. Yeah he should keep telling himself that.

“Wanna look at the map or just wander around,” he asks looking over at Bruce.

It’s nice being outside. Bruce decides that easily. The world is so much bigger than the green haze of the Hulk’s head. People don’t look at them much, and the sky is clear that day; Bruce loves it. It’s a bit overwhelming, of course, but Clint’s hand is big and warm and careful on his, and it keeps him grounded.

Once they reach the mall he looks around, before glancing up at Clint, “wander,” he says, ignoring the idea of a map completely. He wants to wander and walk and do things he hasn’t done in years. He wants to enjoy this.

For what feels like the first time in a hundred years, Bruce smiles. He looks at Clint, his hand warm, the world looking beautiful, and he smiles, small and crooked and soft.

Holy shit Banner was smiling. Clint nods his head before looking down the path of the mall trying to get under control. It was not fair for this dork to have that type of smile. Think of Hulk Clint think of Hulk…ok better. He looks back over at Bruce and smiles leading him down the mall resting face on.

He passes a few shops and looks at Bruce waiting to see which store would catch his interest.

Bruce didn’t care much about which stores carried what, or the names, but he would look inside each, see the clothes hanging up on racks, and—for most—just pass them by. But he /did/ find a store, with hemp bags and fluffy looking sweaters, and what Bruce was sure Tony would have called ‘hippie clothes’, and he paused, tugging lightly on Clint’s hand and nodding towards the store.  
“Here?”

Clint feels his hand being tugged and looks at Bruce nodding his head to the store, “yeah sure thing.” Those damn Bambi eyes were going to kill him. He can just see it now Bruce having done something terrible like burnt the Tower down or casual fire in the kitchen. Bruce would give those innocent Bambi eyes and that would be it for Clint.

Clint enters the store with him and lets go of Bruce’s hand so he can shop, “hey freckles go nuts and buy one of everything,” he laughs.

Clint looks around the store a bit with Bruce, “hey we need to get you shoes after this alright,” he says.

Bruce grabs at the purple sweaters immediately, smiling softly as he pets the fabric, “soft,” he says, looking to Clint as he grabs a few and holds them to his chest.

Suddenly he catches the scent of vanilla and follows it, finding incense burning, and he grabs a box of that. Sweaters and incense in hand, he’s about to look to Clint and tell him he’s ready, when instead he finds an entire rack of crowns made of flowers and snatches two up, chuckling under his breath, and he goes to find Clint.

“Ready,” he grins.

Clint chuckles, “quit acting like a squirrel you don’t have to hoard them,” he frowns looking at his pile, “guess we need to get shoes, socks, and pants for you in a different store.”

He sighs and makes sure all the sweater and incense have been rung up when he catches the flower crowns. He looks at them confused, “Bruce are you getting two of these?”

Bruce looks up at him innocently, fluttering his lashes, before he nods. “Yes,” he says, fighting a small smile as he plucks the second one up, going on his toes to place it atop Clint’s head.   
“We’ll match.”

Clint flushes a little when Bruce bats his eyes. Son of a bitch has to know what he’s doing. He watches as Bruce stands on his toes and puts the little flower crown on his head. Clint sighs and because he has his resting face on he looks like grumpy cat with a flower crown.

“You’re crazy…fine just for the mall visit then after that it’s coming off,” he grumbles crossing his arms. He keeps telling himself he’s doing it to keep the guy calm not to make Bruce happy. His inner monologue is failing him.

Bruce bites his lip, fighting a laugh, and nods, “okay,” he murmurs, before he grabs the bags of stuff and puts his own crown atop his head, the flowers mixing in the curls.

“Shoes,” he asks, reaching out to grab Clint’s hand again.

Clint grumbles a bit, “yeah shoes for you freckles,” he says cursing in his head at Bruce putting the crown on. Hold on a second why is he getting so worked up over this guy? Maybe it’s the little things he is doing…then again he’s not all there so he can’t be doing them on purpose. Yeah he doesn’t know what he’s doing and hasn’t been out in years of course he’s going to act weird.

Clint sighs and grabs his hand as they head to a shoe store in the mall, “you’ll also need pants and stuff unless you plan on walking around the tower just letting it hang out,” he grins. Bruce might not know what he’s doing doesn’t mean Clint is going to be mature about it and not pull something on him.

Bruce glanced down at himself, wide eyed, before he looked back up at Clint. “Shoes /and/ pants,” he replied, following after Clint and looking around thoughtfully.

He spotted a store down the way, which he was pretty sure had shoes in the window, but he mostly started tugging Clint towards it because of something else he’d seen; a purple button up on a mannequin, wearing brown dress pants. He couldn’t quite remember why he was so struck by the sight. He just started wandering towards it, curious.

Clint feels the tug by Bruce and follows him, “what,” he asks before looking at the mannequin then back to Bruce, “you want the outfit,” he asks confused.

Bruce furrows his brow, just staring up at it for a minute, before it clicks, “me,” he says suddenly, looking at Clint, and then the mannequin pointedly.

“I…before…” he frowned, swallowed, tried again, “used to look like that,” he said in a rush of breath.

The mannequin didn’t slouch; it stood high to show off the clothes. Bruce could almost see himself in the mirror of his first apartment, wearing that exact same outfit, squaring his shoulders for another day of work, or college, or a date with…someone. Look at him now. He was so…small, in comparison.

Clint raises an eyebrow, “a mannequin…you’re a mannequin come to life oh my god,” he teases before he stops taking a look at Bruce’s face and the slump in his shoulders. Clint frowns before pulling him into the store and going to the manager. “Hey we want the outfit in the display the purple shirt and khaki pants,” he flips the black card out so he doesn’t have to deal with the person questioning him. Everyone here should know what a black card means.

He watches the manager shuffle away to get the display items before looking back at Bruce, “try it on and we’re buying it got it.”

Bruce feels a mixture of emotions, confused by all of them, but settles on being happy when he looks up to Clint, biting his lip.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, looking down.

He couldn’t figure out his own thoughts on it—did he want to go back to being like before? Did he want to be like now? How about neither? He couldn’t decide.   
But maybe that outfit would make it a teeny-bit easier to figure it out.

“No problem. If you like it and it’s going to ground you to reality or whatever get it,” he shrugs as the man brings the outfit to Clint, “go try it on Bruce.”

Bruce’s takes the outfit gingerly, and nods at Clint when the salesman points out the dressing rooms. He trots off, peeking to make sure Clint was still there before he closed the dressing room door, and changed quickly, though his fingers fumbled on the buttons a few times, and it took him a minute to tug on the khaki’s.

When he was finished he looked down at himself, brow furrowed, and he tugged off the flower crown, brushing his curls back from his face. He ignored the mirrors in the room, and instead just walked out to show Clint, deciding he’d rather hear the other man’s opinion than think his own.

He looked towards Clint nervously and tried to stand up straighter, smiling softly, “good,” he asked, nervously.

Clint waves at Bruce when he looks at him before waving his hand to enter the dressing room. He sighs once he sees that mop of hair disappear and begins to pace around in the store. He can not sit still at all unless it’s a sniper mission no way. He actually hasn’t had a lot of those lately and is Bruce done yet?

He looks over at the dressing room area and doesn’t see freckles yet. Geez what is taking him so long? It’s just a pair of pants and shirt. He stares at the dressing room and sees Bruce come out. He takes back his last statement. Just a pair of pants and shirt looks good on Bruce. He actually looks like the scientist from those newspaper clippings and files.

“Sorry what did you say,” he asks Bruce; he had lost his train of thought examining him.

"Good?" Bruce asked again, tugging at his sleeves. He almost missed the big sweater, simply because in this he couldn’t hide beneath the folds of soft fabric. This outfit was clean cut, and he felt slightly exposed. But he hoped Clint liked it…wait. No. Why did he care whether Clint liked it? Bruce shook the thought out of his head. He didn’t care. He just wanted to know how he looked.

“Oh yeah you look great…uh bought it before you tried it on so shoes and pants time alright Bruce,” he asks patting him on the back. The clerk comes back with a bag. Inside are Bruce’s spare clothes and the large sweater. Clint grins, “you can wear it out thought you might like that.”

Bruce nods, absently tugging at the button up and deciding he liked it. The other things were comfy, of course, so he’d wear them too, but this color was nice.

Reminded him of…home.

“Let’s go,” he said, nodding resolutely and grabbing Clint’s hand, tugging him along, “shoes and pants.”

Clint flushes a bit when Bruce grabs his hand and clears his throat, “yeah man shoes and pants.”

He begins to walk him to a nice store that has both. He looks at Bruce and shrugs, “go nuts freckles.”

He sighs to himself once Bruce is looking through the clothes. How can a little guy like that turn into the Hulk…better question why does he think he look cute? It’s like those dogs or cats that are miniature being cute just because they are tiny. Oh boy Jade Jaws is going to kill him. If Bruce ever gets out of his funk he might have to ask Hulk about dating his other half and isn’t that just a laugh.

It doesn’t take long for Bruce to grab up some sneakers—sneakers, good for running, though he can’t remember why he’s supposed to be running so much—and pairs of slacks to wear. No jeans, jeans are too tight, too restrictive in movement—but he’s not quite sure why he needs to worry about that either.

He doesn’t take long, and once he’s finished he comes trotting back to Clint, smiling, “I’m done.”

“Alright got what you want. Guess you’re not a jean man,” he grins as he hands the card over to the cashier after Bruce’s stuff has been scanned, “the shoes look cool though,” he pauses in his thinking when he gets an idea.

His freckles…wait his? No freckles is already a little bit shaggy maybe a nice shave and hair cut would cheer him up. He’d make sure the barber understood not to touch Bruce’s curls. No those bad boys were staying right where they are.

"What now?" Bruce asked once they had the bags, glancing up at Clint curiously. He was…enjoying himself. These were his things, his to keep. He didn’t remember the last time he had things of his own. He was going to put them away very carefully once he got back to the Tower, lock them up so when the Hulk came back out he couldn’t hurt them.

Clint grins and looks at him, “how you feel about getting a nice shave and hair cut? Come on we got unlimited access on this card we can do that and then get some awesome takeout. What do you say?”

Bruce’s eyebrows went up, and he cocked his head thoughtfully, reaching up to tug at the ends of his hair. It was a bit longer than he remembered it being before. So long as Clint was there, he thought he could handle a quick trim.

“Okay,” he murmurs, smiling crookedly. “I’m…gonna look…” he pauses, clearing his throat, “awesome,” he finishes, chuckling. /Less like a hippie/, he thinks, not without humor.

Clint laughs, “hell freckles you already look cute you’re just gonna look hot…I mean yeah that’s what ladies are going to be thinking so yeah,” he laughs nervously a little flushed. You did it Clint you saved yourself from that epic fail.

He shakes his head and leads Bruce to the barber shop in the mall. He goes up to one of the hair dressers and talks to her, “my buddy over here is a bit shy but he would like a nice shave and just a trim of his curls. He wants to keep them for the ladies,” he grins.

Bruce’s face colors slightly. Cute? Him? He was skinny and gawky and couldn’t string words together to save his life, and Clint thought he was cute? How…strange. He mulled that over as he followed Clint, and quietly awaited the hairdresser.

The woman glances over towards Bruce, who’s shuffling his feet awkwardly and looking around curiously, and she smiles, “I can do that,” she says. “Ladies will fall at his feet, cute as a button that man I,” she looks to Clint, “not to worry, he’s in good hands.”

“Preaching to the choir,” he smirks at the hair dresser.

He looks over at Bruce and waves him over, “she’s going to take care of you. Go get sexed up,” he teases.

Bruce blinks at Clint in confusion, before looking to the hairdresser, who smiles kindly, “come on, sugar, let’s get you dolled up, huh?”

She guides him over to her dressing station, and Bruce glances at where Clint stands nervously as she talks about everything and nothing. He’s only a little nervous. He’ll be fine.

Clint takes a seat in the waiting seat and waves to Bruce as the hair dresser begins to clean Bruce up. He waits for an hour before the hair dresser comes back grinning, “he’s all finished,” she says showing off Bruce.

Bruce looks at Clint with a bashful smile. His hair was trimmed, less wild hippie, more slightly disheveled scientist, and she’d brushed it back for him, making him look at least a bit more like the adult he was.  
She’d also shaved him clean, and had taken away that added adult effect, mostly because he had such a baby face, what with the freckles and the wide eyes.

“Ladies are gonna flock for miles for this little cutie,” she said, grinning at Bruce, who blushed.

Clint’s eyes widen before he grins, “damn Banner you clean up good,” he smiles and pays for the hair cut making sure to give the girl a good tip before taking him out.

Alright Clint you’ve got yourself in a mess now you have a little crush on this little nerdy guy in less than 24 hours but Jade Jaws is your best friend. Problem they both live in the same body. He needs to find something out now, “hey Bruce quick question do you remember everything Hulk does when he’s in control and vice versa?”

The hairdresser had gone off to a new customer, and when Clint asked Bruce that he stared at him in surprise, frowning. Why would he ask that?

“N-no…” Bruce furrowed his brow. “I…remember things,” he says after a moment, shrugging, “Hulk sleeps.”

“So all the stuff I’m doing right now Hulk won’t remember,” he lets out a sigh of relief, “that’s good then. Alright let’s get some awesome fast food huh.”

Bruce still feels confused. Why wouldn’t he want Hulk to remember? It doesn’t make much sense to him, but he shrugs it off.  
He reaches out to Clint, feeling his stomach growl, “okay,” he murmurs, wiggling his fingers for Clint’s hand.

Clint nods his head and sees Bruce’s hand and grabs it again as they head out of the mall.

“So what’s your favorite fast food place,” he asks as they start walking back to the tower, “I like the Mex Fix by the tower.”

Bruce follows after Clint, and he shrugs. “Doesn’t matter,” he says after a short pause for thought. He couldn’t think of a restaurant he’d ever really loved, “as long…as there’s food,” he says, chuckling.


	5. Burritos and Science

“Dude you have not lived until you’ve tasted their nachos oh and their burritos and salsa…we’re getting one of everything. That’s it,” he grins as he walks with Bruce to the restaurant holding some bags.

“Let’s order out,” he asks Bruce.

Bruce chuckles softly. Clint seems so…dramatic. He likes it.

He nods when Clint suggests takeout—Bruce was feeling a bit worn from all the walking around, and being around so many people had left him a bit edgy, even if he was happy. He’d much rather go back.

“Sounds…good,” he said, squeezing Clint’s hand playfully.

Clint smirks and squeezes Bruce’s hand back, “aw is little freckles flirting,” he teases as he holds the door open for Bruce to enter before following him. He waits his turn in line and grins, “one of everything except drinks.”

The cashier looks at him surprised, “Are you sure?”

Clint lays the card on the counter, “yeah I’m sure one of everything,” he smiles as the cashier begins to put the order in.

Bruce’s face goes pink as he follows Clint inside, and he ducks his head bashfully as Clint orders. He may, just the tiniest bit, think the blond was handsome. Who wouldn’t, though? He was strong and kind and funny. All the makings of someone who should undoubtedly be seen as handsome.

Bruce didn’t need glasses to see that.

It takes a few minutes but they are given two large bags of Mex Fix food. Clint gets excited as he grabs the bag, “Bruce smell the awesome of this stuff,” he says taking a whiff. “Oh yes all the food,” he smiles as he heads home with Bruce.

Home…hmmm weird way to put it, but it does feel like it now even if Bruce wasn’t there the team was and that felt like home. Bruce was just a surprise bonus of the package. About half an hour later Clint was outside carrying the bags into the garage when he drops the clothes bags and takes the food bag over to something that looks like a table.

“Dude I’m starving I’m eating it right now,” he digs into the bag grabbing something to eat. The Bruce is kind of cute part of his mind is sleeping at the moment.

Bruce wanders after him and smells the food on the air, mouth set to watering, and he sits down in a chair, reaching out gingerly to peek into one of the bags. It all looks good, and his stomach rumbles, so he grabs the first thing he can get and munches at it absently, tucking his legs up against his chest as he eats.

Clint is chewing his burrito when he sees Bruce choosing his food. Ok no cool universe how are you making this little turtle so cute even when he picks and eats at something not cool at all. The Bruce is kind of cute part of his mind turns back on as he grabs some chips from the bag.

“Good isn’t it Bruce.”

Bruce takes a huge bite out of burrito, going chipmunk for a moment, and he glances up, nodding as he swallows.

He smiles once he’s done, giving a thumbs up, “good. Even better than…pancakes,” he says, before he chuckles.

Clint chuckles, “poor Steve I’m going to have to tell him you like burritos more than his pancakes. It will break his little American heart,” he teases him. He takes another bite of his meal and looks at Bruce, “so what’s next after food?”

Bruce shrugged, wiping at his mouth absently. “Dunno,” he said, glancing from Clint, to the rest of the garage, wondering. He had almost forgotten there was an /after/ part to this little outting, that the world had kept /turning/ while they wandered.

He wished it hadn’t.

Then he swallowed hard, brow furrowing as his face slipped into a frown. Oh no.

Clint was eating his meal and shrugs at Bruce answers. Maybe TV and a nap? What did scientist people like to do? He looks back over at Bruce and frowns. Everything was going good so why was Bruce back to the same person he was when he first got out.

“Bruce what’s wrong?”

Bruce was thinking. Thinking hard. He may not have liked what he was thinking but that wouldn’t change it. He realized he was being selfish.  
“I…” He glanced up to Clint, frowning. “What a-about Hulk?” He asked, setting down his food. “I-I’ve been out…all day.”

Hulk had been locked up for almost two days. Bruce didn’t like to think he was locking him up. Bruce may not have wanted to go back in his head, but he’d just realized he was doing exactly that to the Hulk.  
Shouldn’t he go back?

Clint finishes his bite and looks at him, “compared to his two to three years out I think it’s ok. Look I told you earlier you guys needed to talk and figure out how you want to share the body. Like every other month you can come out or something like that. We still need Hulk for the Avengers so your out time might get cut sometimes. I don’t know you can talk to Hulk in your head right?”

He was confused on how the whole Hulk and Bruce thing worked if they could even communicate inside his head or vice versa.

Bruce scowled slightly, and shook his head. “Hulk h-hates me,” he mumbled, before he sighed. “But I’ll…try to talk…to him.” His sentences were becoming firmer, at least. Maybe when he got up the guts to try and wake the Hulk he’d be able to string an actual conversation together.

Clint shrugged not knowing what to say to that. He didn’t know if Hulk hated Banner or not. He acted like a spoiled kid when he spoke of Banner or a really, really jealous sibling. Hell he didn’t even mention Bruce when he came on the team. Maybe…

“Hey I got an idea. Why don’t we record you saying what you want to say to Hulk and then he can watch it when he comes back. It might work right? You scientist do stuff like that test thing,” he says moving his hands.

Bruce looked at Clint in surprise. That…that might actually work. He’d never thought of something like that before—but that was mostly because Hulk and he had never really had much reason to speak, outside of the anger and jealousy they turned on each other.

“That…m-might work,” Bruce said, surprised.

He grins, “cool just ask Jarvis to record you when you’re ready freckles,” he said grabbing another burrito. He looks over at Bruce, “hey another weird question how are you able to speak better than yesterday? It’s just weird was it like selective mutism…is that what they call it,” he asked looking at Bruce.

Bruce blinked, before he shook his head. “It’s…,” he cleared his throat, frowning, “it’s the—the Hulk d-doesn’t talk…right,” he says, trying to explain. “Words got all…jumbled,” and there he pokes his head, then he just shrugs, “I w-was…scared, too,” he finishes, looking to Clint thoughtfully, “you make it…less scary.”

“Oh that makes sense I guess. You’ve been away for so long you only know how to speak like Hulk and are remembering how to speak normally,” he said as he caught his last sentence. “I make you feel less scared how? Bruce I’m an assassin with a bow and arrow that doesn’t scream not scary,” he laughs a little confused.

Bruce cocks his head at Clint, nonplussed. “You’re Cupid,” he says, shrugging. “You…smile, and, and you h-hold my hand,” he murmurs, smiling softly, “y-you wouldn’t…hurt me.”

Bruce wasn’t sure about a lot of things, was scared of the world at large and distrusted the entire universe, but he was absolutely sure in his conviction that Clint wouldn’t hurt him.

Clint’s eyes widen after he hears Bruce’s confession, “wow…thanks. You’re right I wouldn’t hurt you because…well you know why but just don’t trust everyone that holds your hand,” he chuckles.

Clint didn’t know what else to say to that when did a bow shooting assassin not become scary…maybe in the 1800’s? Stupid question but why wasn’t this little scientist scared of him? He could break him like a twig if he wanted to. He wouldn’t though one because Hulk would come roaring out and Hulk was his friend and two Bruce was a cutie pie. He might not know him well enough but hey he knew good looking when he saw it.

Bruce nodded. “You’re welcome,” replied, before he reached across the table, smiling brightly and wiggling his fingers invitingly.

“I’ll…only trust you,” he said, chuckling. “No one else…will hold my hand.”

Clint was kind to him, treated him carefully and seemed keen on taking care of him. Why he would ever imagine Bruce would do anything but adore him was beyond Bruce.

Clint smiles and reaches over holding his hand, “thanks freckles but if I’m not around you can trust Steve. Tony eh he’s a hit or miss but you’re his science bro so you’re good with him as long as he doesn’t make you do late night experiments. We don’t need drunk science. As for the others you can trust them but if it comes to you over them they’ll choose themselves. It’s not a bad thing it’s just what most people do,” he says shrugging.

He sighs, “well I’m done food was awesome and there’s more for leftovers. So what ya wanna do Bruce? You got the free time,” he chuckles.

He shrugs, finished with his own little bit of food, and sits back in his chair. “Whatever…you wanna do,” he says quickly enough, smiling. He’d have to change into one of those comfy sweaters first; he wanted to do nothing and feel comfortable for the rest of the day.

He shrugs, “I’m gonna sleep anytime there is enough downtime to sleep I’m game for it. So what are you going to do freckles,” he asks before thinking of something, “hey you could go do science with Tony?”

Bruce perked up slightly at the mention of science, “science?”

His interest had been piqued instantly; he loved science. Well, of course he did he was a super genius, but he hadn’t touched a lab in years, so the idea made him smile.

“Is T-Tony…very smart,” he asked, thinking to the man that morning. He’d seemed more like a manchild than a scientist.

Clint smirks and nods his head, “yeah when it’s something to do with engineering among other stuff. He built the Ironman suit by himself in a cave when he got captured with weapons so yeah he’s smart,” he forces a smile.

Internally he’s thinking he messed up. What if Bruce likes smart sure he’s smart in certain things but science things no way. Maybe it was a bad idea mentioning science to him but look at his Bambi eyes. Fine damnit make freckles happy and let him go play science with a maniac.

"He seems…mean," Bruce said, but he was still smiling. "But…science! Let’s…do that," chuckling, he brushed the crumbs off his shirt, going to stand and holding out a hand to Clint.

He almost didn’t reach for him, some part of his mind wondering if it was actually /okay/ to hold Clint’s hand, but he ignored the thought, because he liked holding Clint’s hand, and the blond hadn’t complained, so why should he stop?

Besides, he just wanted him to show him to the lab. Then he wouldn’t bother Clint with hand holding.

Clint shrugs, “he’s Tony you’ll find out what that means. Basically he doesn’t mean to be mean all the time just very sarcastic all the time.”

He stands up when Bruce stands and grabs his hand. Hey anytime cutie wants his hand held he’s getting it. Clint begins to lead Bruce to Tony’s lab, “just a warning he blows stuff up in lab but with you he might calm it down a little,” he says as he hears a boom and a beeping noise, “then again maybe not.”

Bruce jumps slightly at the sound, but calms quickly, nodding as he listens to Clint. As they come towards the lab they see Tony just opening the door, coughing and cursing as Dummy follows at his heels, fire-extinguisher gripped in his robot claw.

“You damn robots are gonna get me—”

Tony glances up, and, seeing Bruce and Clint, rolls his eyes, “what, you guys are already back from blowing all my money? What’d you do, buy out the whole mall?”

He only pauses his rant to glance Bruce up and down—cute little outfit, he thinks, chuckling—before he sees Bruce’s small hand gripped in Clint’s and raises a brow.

“Yeah we spent all your money Stark you’re broke,” Clint grins, “oh and by the way I bought America you can now bow to your leader,” he says striking a pose before chuckling.

He catches Tony eyeing his hand on Bruce and lets Bruce’s hand go quickly. He doesn’t want anything to start in that devious little mind of Tony’s.

“Freckles wanted to check out your labs and do science things. I told him you were the best for science plus I’m tired and need sleep Stark unless you want all your coffee depleted in the next hour for me to stay awake.”

Tony rolled his eyes at Clint’s dramatics, wiping his greasy hands onto his points and shrugging, “sure, I can take the little guy off your hands, Barton, sorry you got stuck with babysitting duty,” he griped, before looking at Bruce with a leering grin. “Science, then? I’ve read your research papers before; you’re a regular genius. Should be fun.”

Bruce frowned when Clint let go of his hand, glancing at the man, before looking back to Tony and nervously wringing his hands together. Babysitting duty? Was he just a little burden on them?  
His mood dropped slightly, but he ignored it, stepping forward when Tony gestured to him.

Clint crosses his arms when freckles starts moving more towards Tony. He should have known science smarts would win. He keeps his resting face on and thinks to himself he just needs to see Bruce as another guy not a cutie. Easier said than done.

“Tony the only one who needs babysitting is you,” he huffs before grinning, “should I call Pepper?”

Tony looks down at his half-smoldering shirt and the grease covering half his body, “no, ah, I think Pepper shouldn’t come here,” he says quickly, before sticking his tongue out at Clint, “and I don’t need babysitting; I’m a grown ass man.”

Bruce glances nervously towards Clint, biting his lip, and Tony grabs him around the shoulders, “come on, short stuff, I’ll show you the world of science, get you away from uncultured swine like captain arrows over there,” he says, grinning, before he starts dragging Bruce away.

Bruce is tense and slightly panicky, but he turns in Tony’s grasp enough to wave at Clint, eyes wide, “b-bye Clint,” he calls, though his voice is soft and hardly there as Tony pulls him away.

“Yeah, yeah, see yah later blondy!”

Clint tsshes at Tony’s comment and waves at Bruce, “later freckles,” he smiles before walking away. He gives the finger to Tony when he calls him blondy.

Once Clint is far enough away from the labs and in his room he locks the door and sighs as he takes his boots off and goes to the bathroom to wash his face. He looks in the mirror and frowns, “I’m not that blonde…and I’m not uncultured swine either.”

He splashes water on his face and frowns, “just cause I was raised by carnies does not make me stupid. I wonder what Bruce would think if he knew. Damn I hope Tony doesn’t tell him. What am I thinking of course he’s going to tell him.”

He flops on the bed and puts his hands behind his head, “maybe it’s better this way. Bruce gets to hang out with Tony and do smart science things. Hell it has to be better than the simple stuff we did today. Fuck you are not doing this Clint,” he huffs as he turns on his side and goes to bed pillow over his head and covered under his blankets.

He tries to get to sleep but can’t. He’s thinking too much about Bruce and about what an idiot he has been. No doubt Bruce has already heard his shitty back story from Tony the privileged asshole. He turns over and lays on his belly and puts his face in his pillow annoyed. He sighs and forces himself to go to sleep.


	6. Get A Way Ice Cream

There’s something about science that puts Bruce more at ease than he’d been all day—though it doesn’t make him smile, or laugh, or feel warm like he did with Clint—there’s a routine he understands and soon enough Tony and he were in the thick of it, him typing away at a hologram, while Tony tinkers with the mechanics of the suit he’s created. It’s methodical, and Bruce feels calm here, and he only half listens to Tony’s chattering about being a superhero and Captain America and Thor and Black Widow; he does, though, tune in when Tony starts talking about Clint.

“You met him, though; he’s an asshole, but we all love him. Him and the Big Guy are best friends, too! You should see it; two peas in a pod.” He wiggles his eyebrows at Bruce, “but, of course, you and him seem pretty close too, eh?”

Bruce doesn’t dwell on the subject, pink in the face, and soon enough they’re back to work, digging deep inside computers and equations and complex systems, and suddenly it’s way too late and Bruce is yawning, with Tony suddenly snoring and out cold across his work station, Dummy putting a blanket over his shoulders.

Soon Bruce looks around, rubbing his eyes, and yawns, heading into the hall and quietly asking Jarvis to show him the way back to his room. Tired and bleary eyed, he walks down the hall, and pauses in front of the door he knows to be Clint’s, looking at it thoughtfully.

He wants to knock and say hello, but he’s sure Clint is asleep. He wonders if he should do it anyways. He wants to say goodnight, he tells himself, though god knows he really just wants to see Clint.

Clint slept for the rest of the day which in his opinion was not a good idea because now he was awake and hungry. He grumbles getting out of the bed blanket wrapped around him because he’s tired and when he’s tired he needs coffee. He yawns and gets his shoes on drops the blanket on the floor. He rubs his eyes and opens his door and jumps back.

“Shit Bruce,” he nearly yells. Why was Bruce just standing outside his door nearly three in the morning? He looked like he was just about to knock and he was still wearing a lab coat. Clint yawns and leans on the door frame, “guess you had fun in lab? Heading to the kitchen you want a snack,” he asks moving out from the door frame and closing his door.

Bruce startles, jumping back like a shocked kitten, and stares at Clint with wide eyes for a moment. He’d just been about to knock, and out Clint had wandered, fit to give Bruce a heart attack.

He nodded, though, after a moment, biting his lip, “science was fun,” he said, before moving further into the hall. “I…could eat,” he says after a moment, realizing he and Tony hadn’t even thought of food. Whoops.

Clint nods his head and walks to the kitchen, “yeah I bet Tony didn’t even let you break,” he grins. He arrives in the kitchen and looks in the fridge for food.

“Still got burritos and stuff,” he closes the fridge and goes to the cabinet and pulls out a jar of peanut butter and grabs a spoon and begins to eat out of it. He’s already taken a few bites when he looks over at Bruce embarrassed.

Good going Clint the whole uncultured swine thing is happening. He tries to play it off, “what are you having,” he asks eating another spoonful of peanut butter. Uncultured swine he may be but he wanted to eat his peanut butter.

Bruce peeks into the fridge, looking at the various things inside—this fridge was stocked /well/—and when he eventually came back out he had a piece of left over cake and a sheepish smile on his face.

“I didn’t…wanna break,” he says, shrugging as he sets his plate on the counter, absently swiping a finger through the frosting and popping it in his mouth, “it was r-really fun,” he says, smiling and swiping another finger full of icing.

Clint relaxes a little bit more as he sits on the counter, “well you had fun that’s good. So what did you two talk about besides science,” he asks as he eats another scoop.

Bruce shrugs. “H-he kinda…rambled. For a wh-while.” He picked off a chunk of cake, popping it into his mouth, before he scrunched up his face. “T-talked about the…others. They s-sound nice,” then he looked down, shuffling his feet. “Said y-you and Hulk are…good friends?”

Clint nods his head, “yeah they are nice and Hulk and I get on good. I shoot the bad guys he catches me if I fall off a building. It works. Plus we tease the shit out of Tony all the time. That is fun. We even prank him sometimes. We still get in our fights though just yelling matches nothing bad,” he eats another scoop of peanut butter.

Bruce nods, glancing up at Clint briefly to smile. “Th-that’s nice,” he says, “g-good for him…to have a…friend.”

But there was a sudden jealousy rearing its head for Bruce, and though he didn’t actually have any right to be upset, he still was. Hulk was the one with the friends and the history, with /Clint/, Bruce was just a sudden addition no one asked for. ‘Babysitting’ duty who couldn’t even save the world. He crumbled a piece of the cake between his fingers, lost in thought.

“Well he has all the Avengers as friends in one way or another, we’re just a little closer is all,” he shrugs sliding off the counter and putting the peanut butter up. He rinses his spoon and put it in the dishwasher not noticing Bruce’s jealousy.

“You want a napkin? You’re getting the frosting everywhere,” he says looking at Bruce who seems to be sadder? Maybe he’s just tired from the lab.

Bruce glances up, blinking, before he shakes his head, brushing his hands off over his plate, “no, thank you,” he says, smile small, and turns to tidy up the little mess he’d made, smile falling once he had his back to Clint.

Hulk was happy with these people. They were his friends, his /family/, and Bruce knew he couldn’t take that away from him. He resolved to have at least one more day, and he’d let the Hulk out again. For good.

Clint shrugs and gets a bottle of water and looks over at Bruce, “ok. Hey are you heading to bed now?”

Bruce sets his plate in the sink, taking a deep breath, before he turns around, smiling softly. “Mhm,” is all he says, wringing his hands together. “It’s…late,” he murmurs, ducking his head to go towards the door, “good…n-night Clint.”

Clint frowns and grabs his arm, “hey wait a second you’re acting weird. Did Tony do something? I’ll punch him if he tried to pull something on you,” he says looking at him.

"No," Bruce reassures him, shaking his head and looking at the floor. "Tony d-didn’t do a-anything." He glanced up at Clint for a moment, and then at where Clint had grabbed his arm, before he shrugged, looking to the floor once more,“j-just tired,” he lied.

Clint releases his arm not convinced but he doesn’t want to pressure Bruce, “alright then…night Bruce,” he says just standing there looking at Bruce.

Bruce stands for a moment, silent, before he looks up at Clint with a small smile. “Good n-night, Clint,” he murmurs, before turning to scamper off towards his room.

One more day. He needed to make a message for Hulk, and then he’d disappear again. He couldn’t afford to get attached to the people the Hulk cared about. He just couldn’t.

Clint sighs and turns around heading back to his bed. Wait did he freak Bruce out earlier is that what it’s all about. Shit. He rushes back to his room and stands outside getting ready to knock on Bruce’s door before he pauses. What exactly can he ask him?

Bruce’s hands won’t stop shaking. He’s sitting on the edge of his bed and they /won’t stop shaking/. Tomorrow, yes, he can do it. He can go back, go away. That’s okay. He’d been gone for years; why is this any different? Even when he tugs on the comfy sweater he and Clint had bought, snuggling down inside, he still /won’t stop shaking/.

He’s scared.

Clint raises his hand to knock before thinking better of it. He should just sleep on it for now. Tomorrow would be better. He could get close to freckles and talk to him then. Yeah tomorrow.

Clint got up in a few hours and began to do his morning routine and began to shoot his arrows in the archery gym portion. He’s too focused and concentrating to notice anything around him at the moment.

Bruce hadn’t slept. Hadn’t been able to. He’d sat up all night, telling himself, reassuring himself, that this was the right thing to do. He needed to go away. The Hulk was happy. He saved the world. The others were his /friends/.

Bruce was nothing.

He took Clint’s suggestion, though, and made a message for the Hulk, using Jarvis to video it for him. Once he was done with the video he carefully began to put the things he’d bought away, neatly folding them, one by one, on top of the bed. He was procrastinating, yes, but that was alright. He hadn’t changed his mind.

After his workout and a shower Clint heads to the guest room and pauses before he gathers enough courage and knocks on the door, “hey Bruce you in there?”

Bruce jumps in surprise, looking around frantically for a moment—he hadn’t wanted to see Clint. He’d grown attached already. He didn’t know if he could do it if Clint—

But Clint was Hulk’s friend. His best friend. Bruce could do it.

He scurried to the door, wide eyed and slightly panicked, and opened it enough to peek out at Clint, “y-yes?”

Clint raises an eyebrow, “Bruce come on open the door all the way. I have to ask you something…did I do something wrong the other day? You’ve just been off or something,” he says rubbing the back of his neck.

He sighs just standing there staring at Bruce. Bruce is just giving him the Bambi face and it’s killing him. He messed something up he knows he did cause it’s his style. He’s Clint the archer.

Bruce’s tosses a glance back into the room, his things all folded up and packed away, and he slips out of the room, closing the door behind him and looking up at Clint. He tries to act like that wasn’t suspicious.

“Y-you didn’t…do anything wrong, C-Clint,” Bruce says, glancing to the floor and biting the sleeve of his sweater. “N-not your fault,” he mumbles around the fabric.

Clint catches the act and looks down at Bruce before he pushes past him into his room. He spots the clothes on the bed and everything cleaned. Nothing is out of place. He turns back and looks at Bruce.

“Going somewhere Bruce,” he asks a little angry.

Bruce stays where he was, staring at the ground. He should’ve left earlier; he knew being around Clint would make this hard.

When he finally glances up at Clint, his eyes are wide and shiny from unshed tears, “I gotta go,” he murmurs, hunching in on himself, “I-I-I g-g-g-gotta—” his words stammer off and he falls silent, going to stare at the floor once more, defeated.

Clint looks at him confused, “gotta go? Where? Why are you leaving huh? You don’t just decide this on a whim what happened,” he asks worried.

"I gotta g-go," Bruce just mumbles, rubbing the side of his head anxiously. "H-Hulk is—h-happy with—everything and—I’m not /right/," he shakes his head, rubbing his hands down his face. "Hulk h-has friends, a-and a life, an-and I’m just—I’m n-not good, I have to g-go back."

His knees feel weak just thinking about it, his stomach churning. “N-none of it’s m-mine. All Hulk’s.”

Clint grabs Bruce’s arm, “Bruce you gotta give this thing a chance. You can’t call quits after a few days. Hell Tony let you in his lab for the day and you did science stuff the whole day. Do you know how many people are allowed in his lab? None. No techs or any other science people just Pepper and Rhodey his best friends are allowed. Bruce don’t throw this away.”

He looks at him sadly not knowing what else to say before he swallows and looks at him. “Dude I may not know you that well but you gotta give this thing a shot. You’re kind of cool in your own geeky way.”

Bruce’s eyes well with tears, and for a moment he can’t speak, trembling slightly, but when he finds his voice, it quivers, “i-if I stay I won’t w-w-want to leave,” he says, little voice broken, “I-I don’t g-get good stuff. I-I don’t get /friends/.”

He’s thinking of before, now, when there was no Hulk, when he made friends and watched them leave just as quickly as they came, or when /she/ left him, or back in school when he had no one, or, even further than that, with his father standing over him telling him he’d never be happy. No one would love him.

Hulk got the friends, the heroism, the life; Bruce wanted it desperately, but it would all go away, it would all fall apart.

“I-I don’t get g-g-good stuff,” he whispered, sniffling.

Clint goes over and gives Bruce a hug and rubs his back just holding him. He doesn’t know what else to say so he holds onto Bruce and lets him cry on him.

He’s lost on why Bruce thinks of himself that way. I mean he has no room to talk he hates himself some days but hell Bruce takes it to a whole new level. He keeps rubbing his back before he pulls away and looks at Bruce, “just stay and try it out. I want you to stay.” It’s the truth what he just said, the little guy had grown on him and well he does want to get to know Bruce better.

Bruce hadn’t been hugged in so long, it came as a complete surprise for him, and he stood there for a moment, limply, tears in his eyes, before he really started to cry. He was scared, scared because the world was never kind, because it always took away the nice things. He was scared, and he knew it would be so much easier to hide than face those fears. But then Clint looked at him and told him /he wanted him here/. Clint wanted Bruce to stay. Wanted Bruce not to disappear.

The idea was absurd but Bruce didn’t care about that; he just stared up at Clint, eyes wide, tears still streaking down his red face, before he pressed himself against Clint and hugged him tight, hiding his face.

“I-I-I’ll try,” he stammered, hiccuping a sob, “I-I’ll t-try, Cl-cl-clint.”

Clint pats him on the back seeing if that would help with the hiccups, “alright good,” he says giving him a last hug before looking around the room. He was worried about what he was going to say next and was worried on how Bruce would take it. It had to be said, like Cap always said ‘you’re only as strong as your nearest teammate’ or something like that.

“Freckles we are going to discuss why you think you should have left. Hulk is not an excuse. Yeah he’s a team member and does avenging things but he’s not you. You’re both two different people. So the first thing you should do is figure out a way to talk to him and say I get this many days and you get that many. It sucks having to share a body I have no idea what it’s like but if it’s anything like rooming with a Shield Agent it sucks trust me.”

Bruce pulls back, wiping his face with the sleeve of his sweater and sniffling, eyes red and puffy, “okay,” he mumbles, feeling tired and raw, head jumbled with all the mixed emotions one could think of. He was a mess.

“I-I’ll try to…t-talk to Hulk…s-s-soon,” he murmured, slightly frightened by the idea. He didn’t like it when they talked in his head, but he’d promised Clint he’d try, so he would.

Clint smiles and pats him on the back, “good it’s a step buddy. Jarvis can you delete anything you recorded while Bruce and I were talking,” he asks looking at the ceiling.

“Of course would Mr. Banner still like to keep his message?”

“Message,” he asks and looks at Bruce.

Bruce looks away from Clint, biting his lip. “I-I recorded something…for the H-Hulk and you…” and he paused for a moment, before shaking his head, “I m-mean you and th-the team. W-we don’t n-need it an-an-anymore.” He kept his eyes on the ground, anxious to move past the subject.

While Clint was curious about what Bruce had said he knew some things should be private and told Jarvis to delete the message for Bruce. He looks at Bruce and frowns seeing him look so miserable. He grabs Bruce’s hand and begins to drag him out, “we’re getting ice cream right now so you stop looking like that and look like Bambi again.”

Bruce follows after Clint, squeezing his hand gratefully and sighing softly, sticking close behind him.  
“Th-thank’s, Clint,” he mumbles, before he furrows his brow, “I-I look like B-bambi?”

Clint flushes a little, “um yeah…the glasses make your eyes pop out and look bigger so you know Bambi,” he says as he holds Bruce’s hand as they walk down the sidewalk. Clint looks over at Bruce, “you ok now?”

Bruce still feels a bit shaky, and he wipes his eyes with his sweater sleeve now and again, but he can give Clint a shaky smile and nod, gripping his hand tight, “I-I’m okay,” he murmurs, before his smiles widens a bit. “I-If I’m B-bambi, then y-you’re Th-thumper.”

Clint squeezes his hand back and smiles, “I’m Thumper,” he shakes his head, “aw freckles why you choose Thumper?”

Bruce smiles sheepishly, nibbling on his sleeve. “You’re…funny,” he says, looking from under his lashes at Clint. “A-and you’re h-hyper. L-like a rabbit,” he smiles sweetly at Clint, tugging at his hand, “B-bambi and Th-thumper, the b-best of friends.”

Clint grins as he enters the ice cream shop, “best friends. Hmm sounds like a plan freckles. One thing I don’t do as a rabbit though. I don’t eat like one,” he smiles as he looks the flavors over. “I know what I’m getting what about you oh and don’t worry about money,” he says flashing the black card, “he never asked for it back so it’s just borrowing,” he grins.

Bruce giggles, shaking his head at Clint, before looking up at the ice cream and smiling. “V-vanilla’s my favorite,” he says almost instantly, shrugging. He’d never much cared for other flavors; vanilla was, undoubtedly, the best.

Clint looks at him, “seriously all the flavors in the shop and you want just vanilla no topping or anything cool? You’re weird,” he chuckles as he orders his ice cream and gets more toppings than ice cream on his.

Bruce rolls his eyes at Clint, getting his own ice cream and sticking his tongue out at the archer. “My m-ma always g-got vanilla,” he said, defending his choice of ice cream; who needed toppings when you had sweet, frozen bliss?

Clint smiles, “hey cool it Bambi,” he chuckles as he pays for their ice cream and finds a seat for them. “So your mom was a vanilla girl,” he teases a bit.

Bruce follows after Clint, eating a bit of his ice cream and smiling contentedly, before looking to Clint. “H-her favorite fl-flavor was vanil-lla,” he says, smiling, if a bit sadly, “she a-always sm-smelled like it.”  
He could see it clearly; his mother and her brown curls, fixing the color of her purple shirt, and reaching down to pick him up with a bright smile, smelling of vanilla and kindness.

Clint smiles as he listens, “my ma liked strawberry said it was the best fruit to become ice cream and easiest way to get me to eat fruit” he chuckles. “I was a reckless kid but she gave me ice cream when she could to try and train me,” he laughs, “you know mom stuff.”

He frowns a bit thinking about his mom and the accident. His dad was a damn idiot.

Bruce smiled softly. “Ma w-would take me out-t-t for ice cream when p-pa was—” He cut himself off, changed direction with his words. “When it w-was a bad d-d-day,” he finished, returning his attention to his ice cream for a moment, frowning.

“S-said ice cream made b-b-bruises heal f-fast,” he half mumbled, shrugging it off to himself.

“Yeah ice cream is the best medicine I don’t care what you say doc this is my medicine,” he says pointing to his ice cream bowl.

“Your dad was a shit head too then,” he says lowly as he swirls his ice cream.

"P-pa was—he wasn’t a-all there," Bruce murmurs, spooning a mouthful and frowning around it.  
“H-had pr-problems.” /You little monster, worthless little monster, no one will ever love you, you monster./ “I-I don’t bl-blame him.” /Mom was dead and it was dad’s fault./ “N-never h-hurt me t-too bad, so,” he shrugged, frowning at his ice cream.

Clint frowns at Bruce and sighs, “dad was a drunk. He’d hit us a few times and sleep it off. Dumbass wanted to drink and drive mom tried to stop him. It didn’t work so he killed himself and her in the accident,” he looks down at his melted ice cream.

“Having problems doesn’t excuse someone of being a bad person.”

Bruce scoots closer to Clint in his seat, pressing them side by side, and he doesn’t look at Clint when he speaks, but he does reach out for his hand.

“P-pa dr-drank and h-h-hit ma and me. S-said it w-w-was cause I w-was a m-m-monster.” His face cut off, going blank for a moment as he thought. “H-he killed ma wh-when we tried’ta l-leav-v-ve.” His hands trembled slightly, and he spoke flatly, but other than that he showed nothing.

Clint grabs Bruce’s hand as he tells his story. His face falls and he clenches his teeth in anger at Bruce’s dad. He squeezes Bruce’s hand when Bruce is trembling. He takes a moment to collect himself before he speaks.

“You’re not a monster Bruce. Your dad was,” he says as he rubs his thumb over Bruce’s hand and chuckles, “we both had shitty dads that killed our moms. Hey we came out of it alright. I think so anyway. I get to shoot what I want, buy what I want, and I’m eating ice cream with you. It’s not so bad.”

Bruce glanced up at Clint, squeezing his hand gently and smiling softly. “N-not so bad,” he murmured, feeling warm. “M-ma would’a been proud.”

That’s all he cared about; his mother was always proud of him, but she’d be so happy that he’d made something to save the world, and met someone as kind as Clint.

Clint smiles and squeezes his hand back, “well duh she’d be proud of you. Hell if you’re as nice as her I don’t see why she wouldn’t be. Plus you finished school and are a doctor too.”

He sighs thinking how lucky Bruce was to be able to finish school. He only had up to the seventh grade education. Being in the circus didn’t give you enough time to go to school.

"M-ma was a nurse," Bruce said, smiling, before he absently played with Clint’s hand, looking up at him.  
“Y-your m-m-ma’d be proud too, I’m s-sure. You’re a s-superhero,” he bumped his shoulder against Clint’s, smiling playfully.

He shakes his head, “no she’d be yelling at me the whole time calling me by my full name when I drop off the building,” he chuckles.

"I’d y-yell with her," Bruce teased, "th-that’s n-not safe."

He remembered bits and pieces of Hulk fighting with the team, and he could just barely recall the few times Clint had gone careening off a building, either to have the Hulk catch him, or for him to catch himself. Bruce would definitely yell at him if he saw that.

Clint shrugs, “being an Avenger isn’t safe but you do what you need to do.” He smiles, “plus Hulk is always there to catch me so I think I’m good…well most of the time. It’s fun jumping off buildings.”

Bruce shook his head, smiling ruefully. “Y-you’re crazy,” he murmurs but he could suppose that’s part of the archers charm, and he says as much. “N-no wonder everyone l-loves you,” he chuckles, glancing down.

He smiles, “well not everyone loves me,” he says finishing off his ice cream, “some Hydra agents hate me cause of tick tick boom,” he says mockingly pulling back a fake bow and arrow and shooting. He looks over at Bruce and smiles internally. Bruce is looking better his eyes are still red but the puffiness is gone for now. It’s good…well it’s good for Bruce bad for Clint because now he can see the Bambi eyes instead.

Bruce bites his lip, smiling at Clint’s shenanigans, before he teases him. “I-I bet they still-ll love y-you. G-got your p-poster in their j-jail cell,” he stifled a laugh, nibbling at his sleeve, “y-you’re a ch-charmer.”

He rolls his eyes, “oh that’s just great I have a jail cell full of fan boys,” he laughs.

He smiles at Bruce looking at him not saying anything for a few minutes, “you ready to head back?”

Bruce nodded, moving to stand and tug at Clint’s hand. “Y-yeah,” he murmured, smiling, “I f-f-feel much b-better,” and he did. He felt so much better, and he may have still felt like he needed to think things through, and he may’ve still been a bit worried, but he felt…at ease. He’d never told anyone about his father before. It felt good to get that off his shoulders.

“Cool let’s walk the ice cream off and you can do more science stuff with Tony,” says Clint as he throws his ice cream bowl away.

Bruce follows after Clint, nodding. “D-do you want t-to do science w-with us,” he asks, blinking wide eyed up at Clint, hopeful.

He liked Tony, he did, but he’d missed having Clint around yesterday. Maybe he could show Clint some of the fun things they did? He didn’t want to bore him, of course, so he wouldn’t force it.

Clint shrugs, “it’s not my thing. I’m not smart enough to do what you can do in a lab Bruce. More than likely I’ll blow stuff up…then again I could sneak in the vents and scare the shit out of Tony,” he grins to himself.

Bruce chuckled. “Tony bl-blows stuff up, and h-he’s a genius,” he replied, smiling. “I-I’m sure you’re pl-plenty smart, too. N-not everybody’s a n-n-nuclear physicist.”

He forces a smile, “yeah and not everyone has finished school,” he brushes it off, “I’m sneaking in the vents freckles you have a warning so I don’t scare you.”

Bruce pauses thoughtfully, looking at Clint and thinking on his comment, “Sm-smarts don’t c-come from books,” he murmurs, before shaking it off and moving on, lips pulling up in a smile, “I-I bet he’ll scr-scream. C-can’t wait.”

Clint ignores Bruce’s comment and focuses on the last one, “oh he’s going to be more than scared you can bet that. Bruce I need you to keep a straight face when you go to lab. Once there give me fifteen minutes and I’ll scare the shit out of Tony alright.”

Bruce didn’t miss Clint’s dodging of the first comment, but he let it go for now. Bruce nods resolutely, “c-can do,” he promises, grinning, “I-I’m good at keeping a str-straight f-face, he won’t suspect a th-thing.” He liked Tony, he did but Clint scaring him to death was going to be hilarious.

Clint grins and looks at Bruce as they near the tower, “I’m counting on you Bruce. Um you know how to get to the lab from here right,” he asks bouncing a little on his feet.

He nods, letting go of Clint’s hand and wringing his hands. “I kn-know the way,” he assured the archer, before he smiled broadly, “I’ll s-see you in fifteen, super s-s-spy,” he said, winking, before he went to trot off, a slightly bounce in his step.

Clint nods his head when he’s taken back. Did he just wink at me? Why do people always wink at me? That’s a good thing right, freckles winking? It’s not some weird fluffy scientist thing is it?

He shakes his head and rushes to his room searching for the item. Once he has it he puts it on and chuckles as he looks in the mirror, “Oh yeah Tony is going to be scared shitless.”

He quickly stands on his dresser and pops the vent frame off and raises himself up and begins crawling to the lab.


	7. Bells and Whistles

Bruce had gone to the lab and easily began a new project with Tony, insisting he show him how his AI coding was run; it didn’t take more than a few moments before Tony was animated and distracted.  
And so, Bruce sat back, listened with a smile, and waited.

Clint was crawling the vents when he finally gets over the lab area he spots Bruce through the vents and sees Tony going off on some science mumbo jumbo he sneaks to the closet vent above Tony and unscrews the vent quietly. He removes the vent and grins to himself. He jumps through the vent the alien mask from Alien the movie on and lands on the table roaring at Tony.

Tony went sprawling back across the floor, letting out a high-pitched shriek as he called out for Jarvis, and Bruce was doubled over with laughter as he went spider-crawling backwards to get away from Clint, before he collapsed on his back and gripped his arc-reactor.

“Oh. OH MY GOD. Holy /shit/ I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!” He shouted, still clutching his chest, and Bruce laughed harder, gripping his sides.

Clint laughs loudly taking off the mask and jumping down from the table, “aw Tony don’t be like that man. Look Bruce thought it was funny and he’s happy. You wouldn’t want your new science bro unhappy would you,” he teases him chuckling in-between a few of the words.

“Sir may I assume you are not being attacked by an alien,” asked Jarvis.

Bruce had to sit down, and he scrubbed tears from his eyes. “Y-your /face/,” he managed between his laughter, earning a glare to end all glares from Tony.

“You two are fucking /evil/,” Tony bemoans, sitting up waving at the ceiling, “you too, Jarvis. If I /had/ been attacked by aliens you would have failed as my protector.”

At Bruce’s continued giggles, Tony glanced between Clint and the scientist, pouting, “yeah, yeah, lover boys, team up on poor ol’ Tony. Couldn’t just go make out in a corner or something, had to mess with me; not cool, not cool.”

Jarvis quips at him, “I am sorry sir. Should I be concerned when someone is traveling the vents or would you prefer to know ahead of time when you are about to be scared?”

Clint laughs, “oh snap you go Jarvis…wait what,” Clint flushes at Tony’s comment.

“We’re not lover boys,” he says jumping down from the table a little nervous, “we’re just becoming friends like I did with Hulk and stuff. Stop messing with our heads.”

Bruce had paused his laughter, flushing lightly, and Tony glanced between them, his pout turning suddenly into a bright grin.  
“Aw, I’m sorry,” he purred, wiggling his eyebrows, “are you two not holding hands anymore?”

Bruce was wringing his hands, and looking down, and Tony went to sidle up next to him, tossing an arm over his shoulder, “but he’s so /cute/, ain’t he Barton? If you don’t snatch him up, I just might,” he smirked down at Bruce, who was blushing bright red now.

Clint watches Tony sidle up next to Bruce and put an arm around him like he owns him. He sees Bruce wringing his hands and glares at Tony, “knock it off Tony you’re scaring him.”

He frowns at Tony next statement. Tony could snatch Bruce up if he wanted to. They are both smart and do more things that Bruce likes than just lazing about all day or shooting arrows. You know what hell no. He is not going down without a fight. Not when Bruce is freaking out and looks like a deer in headlights.

He goes over to Bruce and grabs his hand trying to comfort him. He glares at Tony as he prepares himself for the backlash he’s going to get from Bruce, “yeah freckles is cute but hand holding doesn’t mean we’re suddenly lovers. He needs it to be grounded and not get nervous around assholes like you.”

Bruce blinks in surprise, gripping Clint’s hand and looking up at him, blush reaching the tips of his ears, and Tony’s smirk could cut diamonds as he lifts his arm, shifting away, if only slightly, “hey, alright, Legalos, no need to worry; I get it.”

He watches them, grin wicked, and crosses his arms over his chest, “I won’t mess with your cutie, it’s all good.”

It had worked, exactly what he’d been hoping for; Clint was definitely an emotional reaction sort of guy, and Bruce looked so wide-eyed and puzzled, it was the perfect revenge for the scare.

Match-making time.

Clint sputters at him, “he’s not my cutie. He’s not anyone’s.”

Bruce wasn’t anyone’s anything…yet his mind betrayed him. No Bruce would need to ask for that if he wanted it. Clint wasn’t going to force or guilt trip him into it…whatever it was.

Clint smirks, “maybe what you should be more focused on why your experiment is burning. I didn’t know ash came in that color.”

Tony turns around and curses as U and Dum-E are trying to handle a chemical fire with the fire extinguisher. He runs over quickly to the lab table to handle the fire as he yells at his robots.

Clint lets out a sigh of relief and lets go of Bruce’s hand, “you ok freckles?”

Bruce nods, quietly, and holds his hands to his chest. “I’m okay,” he murmurs, smiling nervously, and glances Tony’s way when the scientist shrieks at his robot again.

“Th-thank you.”

Clint blushes and nods his head at Bruce, “you’re welcome….I’ll let you play science with Tony now,” he says grabbing his alien mask. He starts heading for the exit. He doesn’t trust himself to be calm around Bruce right now. He needs to go to the archery range and shoot some arrows.

Bruce sucks in a breath, and before he can go calls out to him, one hand reaching slightly forward,“ah, Cl-Clint,” he asks, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

Clint pauses and turns around looking at Bruce, “yeah,” he asked a little nervous about what Bruce wanted.

Bruce took a breath, hesitant, and opened and closed his mouth for a moment, before he settled on what he wanted to say.

He smiled softly and ducked his head. “Y-you’re cute too, Clint,” was all he managed, blushing a deep red.

Clint blushes and rubs the back of his head looking down, “aw thanks freckles…I need to head out now and practice my shooting. Can’t be the best archer if I don’t train,” he says awkwardly, “have fun with Tony,” he waves at Bruce before leaving and heading to the archery range.

Once at the archery he makes himself shoot and pull his arrows focusing on only the target. It takes a few hours but soon he is back in his zen like focus and is hitting the bulls eye every time.

Bruce couldn’t help smiling. He’d made Clint blush.

He let him go then, turning back to help Tony with his increasing trouble with a burnt experiment, and they both started on something new not long after to occupy themselves—and Bruce ignored all jabs about Clint very well, thank you very much. He was there for science, not gossip.

After he’s spent some time in the archery range he heads to his room and takes a shower and heads to bed. He doesn’t sleep long as in the next two hours the Avengers alarm goes off.

“Are you kidding me,” he says getting suited up. He grumbles the whole way there and is waiting with the others when a light bulb goes off in his head, Bruce. Did they force Bruce to change or not? Does this mission even need Hulk?

Bruce and Tony were busy in the lab when the alarm went off, calling all Avengers to the ground floor.  
Bruce didn’t realize what was happening until Tony had called his suit and looked at Bruce with a raised brow, gesturing to the door.

Jarvis had rattled off the threat, “invading force: threat level 9, possible supervillain activity.”

Bruce had stared with wide eyes at the ceiling, before he followed after Tony. He’d Hulk out when they told him, if they needed it; not a moment sooner.


	8. Permission

Clint is fixing his arrows and getting them packed when he sees Bruce with Tony. “Hey why is Bruce here? He’ll get hurt.” He begins to push Bruce away from the team, “go to your room Bruce we got it.”

Steve comes to the ground floor and sighs looking at Bruce, “Banner you need to suit up.”

“The fuck for,” asks Clint angry.

“Mutated robotic insects. There’s too many to take out without the Hulk’s help.”

Bruce’s arms wrap around himself, and he swallows, trembling slightly. 

“Okay,” he murmurs, looking to the floor as he kicks off his shoes, ready to follow the captain’s orders.

“Robin Hood, we can’t just go out a Hulk short. We need Bruce to change,” Tony says from behind his mask, “he’ll be fine.”

“Fine but you might want to get him his stretch pants unless you want to deal with a naked Hulk fighting machines,” he pouts crossing his arms.

Steve looks over at Bruce and points to one of the doors, “there are spare pants in that closet along with spare weapons.”

Bruce hunches his shoulders, nodding, and swallows hard, scurrying over to the door and slipping inside, searching for a pair of pants to wear.

Tony watches him go, before looking to Clint, “lover-boy’ll be fine, Legalos,” he says, grinning behind his mask. “Don’t worry about it.”

Clint sighs, “Tony don’t piss me off or I might just let you handle the machines on your own. You’re an engineer you should be able to fix them on your own,” he says angry and not in a mood for Tony’s teasing. He was worried about Bruce. He said that he didn’t have to become the Hulk if he didn’t want to and now he was being forced to.

Steve looks over at Clint and Tony, “you two protect each other’s back.”

Tony flips his mask up, leveling Clint with a look. “I’m not trying to piss you off, Clint. I’m serious. It’ll be fine,” he flips his mask shut and laughs, “and don’t worry, Cap; I’ll protect his ass.”

When Bruce came back out he was holding up the too-big pants, and his face was crumpled as he went over to Clint.

“Gotta go,” he murmured, frowning deeply, before he went on his toes, smacking a kiss to Clint’s cheek before he spun on his heels, ready to turn.

Clint huffs annoyed at Tony when he spots Bruce coming out with the too large pants. Clint is in shock by the kiss on the cheek. When did Bambi get so bold. Oh he is asking him about that, “whoa whoa whoa freckles you don’t just kiss someone and turn tail and run,” he says grabbing him by the arm, “what was that about?”

Bruce’s ears turned red as Tony catcalled from his suit, and he looked down. “I-It w-w-was for—” /Goodbye for now?/ “G-g-good luck. Pl-please don’t g-g-get hurt,” he said in a rush, holding the pants tight.

His fear of turning into the Hulk was pushed aside, the fear of Clint getting hurt rearing its head. He didn’t like the idea at all. Made his stomach churn.

Clint really wants to kiss Bruce right now in front of everyone but he doesn’t want to embarrass him so he smirks instead, “hey I don’t have to worry about getting hurt if you or Hulk catch me freckles.” He pats him on the back, “just think you can yell at me once you’re smaller again.”

Bruce looks up at him, sheepishly, and smiles softly. “I-I’ll do that,” he murmurs, wishing he had the guts to do more than a kiss to the cheek. “I’ll c-catch you.”

Tony’s making a gagging sound in the background. After a moment he nods his head to Clint and steps back a step, “I-I’m gonna need room to ch-change.”

Clint glares at Tony before smiling at Bruce, “you don’t need that much room you can smash Tony if you want to,” he grins at Tony.

Clint backs up and lets Bruce change into the Hulk.

Bruce smiles softly, before he steps back, making sure the others around him were far enough back.

“M-make sure I c-c-come back, Clint,” he murmured, wringing his hands before looking down, “Please.”

Once he has spoken then he was hunching forward, and letting out a pained gasp as his shoulders expanded, his spine cracking and twisting, his fists growing as he fell to the ground.

A moment later little Bruce was gone to be replaced by the Hulk, who was glancing around, confused, “hey big guy! Long time no see,” Tony shouted behind his mask, grinning.

Clint nods his head at him and watches him change into the Hulk. He still can’t get over how one little guy can change into Hulk.

“What’s shaking Jade Jaws,” he grins, “ready to smash some mutated robots?”

Hulk’s face goes from slightly confused to gleeful as he turns towards Clint, grinning. “Smash,” Hulk asks, a wicked glint in his eye.

“Finally, we’re ready to get this shit done,” Tony says, heading for the door. “Killer robots wait for no one. Come on Hulk, let’s go smash ‘em.”

“Smash them all Jade Jaws,” he grins heading out the door with the other to shoot some robots. 

Well it wasn’t very difficult to find the robots since most of them were flying overhead or attacking the city. Clint gets to work and begins running towards a tall building to get a better view and advantage before he looks up at Hulk, “Hey Hulk mind giving me a lift up there,” he asks pointing to the top of one building.

The team follows suit, and immediately Tony’s in the air, trying to shoot down robots and protect civilians, and the Hulk looks to Clint, nodding and grabbing him in one huge fist.

“Cupid fly,” he jokes, grinning, before he carefully holds onto Clint and leaps up, onto the roof, and sets him gently down on his feet. “Cupid no fall,” he says seriously, before spotting a robot and going bounding after it.

Clint grimaces a little at the man handling before Hulk sets him down, “can’t make any promises on that Hulk,” he shouts to him, “you’ll catch me though.”

Clint begins to shoot at the robots that are flying using various arrows to get the job done. Steve is using his shield to take down the land robots and pulls back. He uses his com, “Tony have you found out where there main control is yet,” he asks tackled by one of the robots. He bounces back slicing the robot to pieces.

The Hulk bounds off, destroying robots with glee. He hadn’t been inside in so long, and going back in had left him a bit drained, but with so many things to destroy he felt great.

Natasha was at ground level, evacuating the streets and fighting robots with a sour look on her face as she spoke into the coms, “Stark, you better find that controller before I kick your—”

“Aces!” Tony chimed, laughing as he zoomed overhead. “I think I’ve got a trace on it, but it’s fuzzy. Keep this up and I’ll have it in a few minutes.”

Steve throws off a robot as more begin to surround the street, “Tony we don’t have minutes.”

Clint hits a robot heading for Tony and grins, “they can’t bank make a swerve,” says Clint as the building shakes. He looks behind him and sees the robot breaking through to the roof. He curses as he uses his grapple hook and jumps off the building swinging and jumping off the wall to the ground.

“Off the roof robots on the building blow it Tony,” he says running away from the building.

Tony swerves sharply, throwing two robots off his tail and blasting them to bits, before he turns to see the robots swarming up from the building, and locks onto them. “Alright, I think I know which building the mainframe’s in,” he jokes as he sets the bots aflame, shooting forward and down through the hole they’d come from, heading inside. 

“Gimme one more minute, guys, and I’ll hack into them and shut ‘em down.”

The Hulk bounded after the stragglers that Tony had missed, crushing them in his fists, and Thor summoned up lightning, shocking a good group of them.

“I got you covered Tony hurry up,” says Clint as he lets lose another bomb arrow into a group of bots heading back to the building. Clint keeps watch and starts using his arrows on the robots. He goes to pull another arrow and his face drops.

“Shit out of arrows,” he says on the com as he uses his bow to fight back at the robots.

Tony flies straight into an empty control room, cursing that the guy or gal behind this was probably running for the hills, before he had Jarvis spread into the system, “come on, come on, hurry up,” he muttered, anxious to get this done.

Outside, the Hulk made his way towards the others, smashing robots on the way, and grinned with each crunch of metal.

Clint is tackled by one of the robots and tries to push the robot off before he gets dogpiled by the other robots. A shield comes flying through the robot mass and Clint gets up shaking his arms.

“Thanks Cap,” he says as he goes back to fighting the robots. Steve nods his head before using his shield to block another robot attack.

The Hulk came bounding over to Clint like an eager dog once the other robots had been destroyed, crushing two that had come to try and get the archer.

“Cupid getting slow,” he said, grinning as he smashed another. “Tiny Cupid get hurt,” he teased, going to crush another robot.

“Got it!” Tony shouted over the coms, watching information fly across his hub as he began to take control of the remaining bots.

“Oh shut up Jade Jaws,” he says a little annoyed at the teasing as he knocks another robot down, “Cupid is not hurt. Cupid is getting mad that these robots won’t shut off!”

A few minutes later the robots begin to fall down not moving as they were turned off. Clint lets out a sigh of relief as he goes over to the Hulk. “Hey Jade Jaws I was doing fine all on my own you know,” he says pouting.  
Hulk huffs a laugh, sitting down with a thud as he looks around at the smashed or dropping robots.

“Puny Banner whine. Hulk come help,” he shrugged, rolling his eyes. He reaches out to pat the top of Clint’s head, “Cupid do good job.”

Tony comes flying out of the building soon after, grinning behind his mask, “hell yeah, guys, we won! Well, I mean, of course we won this was pretty easy, but, hey, no more evil bots!”

“Bruce whinnied,” he asked confused as Hulk patted his head. “Hey I’m not a dog but wait you just said Bruce whinnied meaning you talked to him?”

Hulk moved his hand into his lap, before shrugging, “Banner usually quiet. Today he /loud/. More annoying.” Hulk huffed, frowning as he listened to the voice in his head, “tell Hulk to keep friends safe.”

Clint gets an idea, “so you can talk to him when you’re big and green. Why don’t you both find out when you want to be out and stuff,” he asks. He waves his hand at the next comment, “yeah yeah tell Banner we’re all safe and I only had to jump off one building.”

Hulk grunted, nodding, and scrunched up his face as he thought at his other half, arms crossing over his broad chest.

As he started up a conversation in his head, Stark came up behind Clint, watching the Hulk’s face curiously, “is the big guy having a heart attack or something? That’s quite a new look.”

Clint looks at Hulk and smirks at Tony, “nah he’s talking to Bruce and figuring out the timeshare on their body. What do you think about it Tony?”

Tony was quiet for a second, before he shrugged, “I dunno, they could switch out every week? Week for Bruce, week for Hulk?”

Hulk huffed a breath, shaking his head, “Banner dumb. Say he come out once a week.” At Tony’s frown, Hulk rolled his eyes, “Banner think smart. Hulk think it dumb. Hulk use tin-can’s plan.”

Clint laughs, “alright Hulk then who gets this week,” he asked. He was hoping it was Bruce because he had some business to finish with the guy. You don’t kiss anyone for good luck before a battle. He needed to know where he stood with Bruce.

Hulk heaved himself to his feet, dusting off his stretchy pants. “Banner. He already start his week,” he grins, then, “and no hear him whining when in Banner’s head. Win for Hulk.”

Tony snorted, rolling his eyes, “oh god, okay, so we got Banner for the next couple days, awesome. Wanna head back before you drop the poor little dude right onto the street? Unless /Cupid/ wants to carry him,” Tony tossed Clint a smirk.

Clint flushes a little and glares at Tony, “Tony shut up before I knock you with my bow.”

He looks over at Hulk and sighs, “let’s get to the tower first before you change.”

Hulk nods, and Tony grins, shooting up and laughing. “Don’t be so bashful, Robin Hood, yeesh,” he calls, before he shoots off towards the Tower. “See yah soon!”

Hulk rolls his eyes and reaches out to pluck Clint up, “Hulk faster.”

Clint shrugs and gets picked up by Hulk, “yeah you are. Hey Jade Jaws does Bruce remember everything when you’re out? I need to ask you something without Banner knowing.”

Hulk looked down at Clint curiously, holding him carefully and taking off. He furrows his brow a moment, before smirking, “Banner no hear now. Cupid go ahead.”

Clint swallows and flushes, “I like Bruce Hulk. I like you too but the last few days I’ve been crushing on him. So I need to know if you’re going to be the older brother and give me the shovel talk or if I should give up on it. It’s your body too you know. If you don’t want me to get near Bruce after this I won’t.”

Hulk was so surprised he nearly stopped moving, but shook his head a moment later and kept going. “Cupid like puny Banner,” he stared ahead, looking serious and thoughtful for a moment, before he tossed his head back and laughed. “Cupid like /Banner/,” he chortled, chest rumbling with it. 

“Hulk no care. Hulk still be Cupid friend, right? Hulk no care, but Hulk no wanna know about it,” he kept laughing as they came level with the Tower.

Clint flushes and glares at Hulk, “hey have you looked at the guy? It’s the damn freckles and bambi eyes that get ya,” he huffs as Hulk carries him to the Tower. “I just wanted to know it wouldn’t mess anything up. Seriously I don’t if it’s just a crush cause I found him or not. I crushed on Nat after I found her but then a day later it was gone. I really don’t know what’s wrong with me Jade Jaws.”

He frowns at Hulk’s statement, “what of course you’re still my friend buddy. Nothing’s gonna change that unless you become a villain,” he smiles as they land near the tower. “You can’t tell Banner or anyone about this alright. As for not knowing about what we get up to,” he grins, “you better figure a block to use when you are Banner.”

Hulk made a face, grossed out as he set Clint down once they entered the tower. “Hulk will find a way,” he said, shuttering at the idea of knowing about /puny Banner/ and /Cupid/ doing whatever it was romantic people did. Disgusting.

“And Hulk no tell Banner. Banner no believe Hulk,” Hulk glanced around. “Hulk change now?”

Clint smiles and pats him on the arm, “thanks buddy and yeah if you want to change now you can.”

Hulk nods, scratching his head and yawning. “See Cupid later,” he says, grinning, before he hunches forward, shoulders shivering, and he begins to shrink down, just like the first time. 

And just like the first time, Bruce drops down to his knees in the Hulk’s place, crumpling to the ground.

“See ya later Jade Jaws,” he smiles as he watches Hulk shrink and turn in Bruce again. He kneels down and helps Bruce stand up. “Hey Bruce Hulk did good. You wanna eat or sleep now?”

Bruce blinks blearily, looking around for a moment, before he blinks and looks more fully at Clint, smiling. “Y-you’re okay,” he murmurs, before yawning. “Sl-sleep would be…nice,” he mumbles, leaning into Clint’s helping hand.

Clint chuckles, “Bruce of course I’m ok why wouldn’t I be? I’m Hawkeye,” he smirks as he helps Bruce to his room. He flirts with him, “so you need some help getting out of those pants,” he grins.

Hulk had given him the ok so he was going to use all his flirting skills necessary to catch Bruce.

Bruce’s face flushes, but he’s so tired he can’t properly deal with the flirting. “I-I-I’m okay,” he stammers, looking down bashfully. Instead of going to change he just flopped down onto the bed with a thump.

Clint laughs, “oh that was graceful freckles,” says Clint as he plops on the bed next to him. “Do you need help getting under the covers Bruce,” he teases.

Bruce peeks over at Clint, still blushing, and mumbles something before just saying yes, smiling softly as he tries to sit up and go under the blankets.

Clint grins as he helps Bruce get under the covers. He then plops his shoes off and gear before climbing in with him, “what’s wrong Bruce this is how you tuck someone in bed.”

Bruce looks at Clint with wide eyes, confused, before hiding half his face beneath the blanket. “Cl-Clint,” he asks, blush burning up his cheeks and to the tips of his ears, “wh-what are you d-doing?”

He’s not complaining, no, because he suddenly has the urge to curl up against Clint like a needy kitten, but he’s very confused as to why Clint wants to be in his bed.

Clint smirks, “aw don’t be blushing freckles. I’m tired there’s a bed here so why not share it with you man. Seriously I think I’m too tired to move to my room,” he grins as he snuggles up against Bruce.  
He puts his arm around Bruce and brings him closer to him, “don’t be nervous really. I just want to sleep and you’ll make a good teddy bear,” he lays his head on Bruce’s shoulder and gets comfortable. “You ok with this or are you freaking out again?”

Bruce’s face was hot, but the rest of him, as usual, was cold, and Clint was /warm/, and he didn’t /mind/ having him there. They were just friends, and he wanted to be warm, or at least, that’s what Bruce tried to convince himself as he allowed Clint to snuggle up against him.

“I-I-I’m f-fine,” he murmured, suddenly wide awake and biting his lip.

Clint smiles holding Bruce, “alright night Bruce,” he says falling asleep on Bruce and keeping a good hold on him.

Bruce laid awake for a little while, breathing carefully so he didn’t wake Clint, and gave a soft sigh of contentment when he finally relaxed enough to rest. Warm and safe, that’s what it felt like. He was almost reluctant to sleep, in case that feeling went away, but he eventually fell asleep listening to Clint’s soft breaths.


	9. Coffee

Clint doesn’t move for the rest of the night keeping a good hold on Bruce. He does move on his side in the morning and stretches before rolling up against Bruce and flopping an arm on him, “Bruce…you up,” he yawns.

Bruce had slept amazingly, and when Clint rolled over he woke with a small yawn, stretching out slightly and glancing up at Clint blearily. “M-m-mornin’, C-Clint,” he mumbles, rubbing his eyes.

“Make coffee,” he whines hugging Bruce, “please. Friends make coffee for each other,” he mumbles as he talks into Bruce’s shoulder.

Clint was not a morning person and needed his coffee to wake up fully or he would say things off filter not that he didn’t when he was awake but it was much worse.

Bruce let out a soft grumble, flushing slightly. “Y-y-you make c-c-coffee,” he mumbled, turning slightly to press his face into the pillows. It was too early, and he hadn’t come to himself completely; he was still in his early morning grump stage, and not his ‘oh god I’m sorry’ stage.

Clint groans and nudges him gently, “Bruuuucceee when someone sleeps with you, you make them coffee…yeah it’s a rule make coffee please?” He huffs, “I’ll give you a good morning kiss if you do. Full lips and everything please coffee.”

Bruce’s head pops up with surprise, and he blinks wide eyes at Clint, wondering if he’d heard Clint right, or was suddenly hallucinating.

“Wh-why would y—” he breaks off, rubbing one red cheek. “I-I-I’ll make some coffee,” he mumbles, moving to scoot out of the bed.

Clint looks at him bleary eyed and tired as he grins, “why would I what,” he asks before that train of thought is gone and he is grinning because Bruce is making him coffee for the day. “Thank you Bruce,” he smiles yawning.

Bruce nodded, scurrying to grab one of his sweaters, still wearing the overly stretchy pants, and he mumbles a quick ‘be right back’ before he heads out barefoot into the hall, wringing his hands anxiously.

Kiss him? Why would Clint do that? He was joking. Bruce was sure he was joking.

Clint nods his head and lays in the bed yawning as he hugs one of the pillows waiting for his coffee. He’s not awake enough to realize what he has said or that Bruce is acting weird again.

Bruce hadn’t made coffee in quite some time, but Jarvis managed to help him use the machine, and he stood waiting for it, though he didn’t plan to have a cup himself.

What if Clint /wasn’t/ joking? But he must have been. But what if he /wasn’t/?!

Bruce’s thoughts went along this line until the coffee was made, and he walked down the hall towards his room feeling jittery and confused.

Clint hears the door open and smiles at Bruce and the cup in his hand. He sits up straight and holds out his hands for the coffee, “Freckles gimme oh and sit on the bed.”

Bruce shuffles over to him, handing him the coffee and furrowing his brow at the request, though he sits down gingerly, face red once more.

Did that mean he’d been serious? Was Clint going to /kiss/ him?

“Y-yeah?”

Clint grins and holds the coffee in one hand waiting for Bruce to sit down first. He kisses Bruce on the lips and smiles taking a sip of his coffee, “thank you Bruce.”

Bruce is caught by surprise, and when Clint pulls away he doesn’t move, just sits staring at nothing with wide eyes, lips open in an ‘o’. He hadn’t expected it. He wasn’t sure how he should react. It was like a computer malfunction—his face went bright red and he blinked in bewilderment.

Clint continues drinking his coffee and looks over at Bruce, “you ok Bruce? You’re turning red.”

He keeps drinking his coffee when it finally clicks what he just did to Bruce. He is internally kicking himself as he sips his coffee trying to stay calm. Maybe if Bruce doesn’t want to remember it I can fake being not awake enough to remember the kiss? I was drunk on sleep yeah that might work.

Bruce’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water for a moment, before he shakes his head, swallowing. “F-fine,” he squeaks, wringing his hands anxiously, “great. G-g-good. Never b-been b-better,” he babbles, blush rising to the very tips of his ears.

Clint frowns, “Bruce what’s wrong,” he asks before sighing, “I’m sorry I freaked you out. I’m less awake and controlled in the morning.” He looks over at Bruce grimacing, “really freckles I’m sorry.”

Bruce takes a long, deep breath, before letting it out and scrubbing his hands over his face, mumbling into his palms.

“N-no. It’s ok-k-kay. I’m not— You didn’t—” he breaks off, letting out a frustrated breath, before he straightens up, looking to Clint and frowning for a moment.

Before he can think too much on it he leans forward, quick as a flash, and pecks a kiss to Clint’s cheek, still embarrassed but determined to make Clint know he’s not upset.

Clint watches Bruce stutter through his answer and feels like a heel. He looks at his cup of coffee like it betrayed him and frowns. He had fucked up with Bruce. He had missed his one chance. It was ov-

His thoughts are stopped by a quick peck to the cheek. He’s surprised as he looks at Bruce unsure, “is that a yes?”

"D-depends on the qu-question," Bruce murmurs, shrugging as he looks at his hands. He didn’t mean to be obtuse, he really didn’t, but he’d just kissed Clint for the second time and he was absolutely /terrified/ because he didn’t know what to do about it. Clint had kissed him. Did that mean he /liked/ him? Or was Bruce reading too much into it?

He was worried.

Clint gulps worried, “well buddy you kissed me twice and I kissed you good on the lips so you wanna get together and stuff,” he asks blushing a little. He thinks go big or go home and hopes he hasn’t scared Bruce off.

Bruce’s face lights up, though he keeps his head down for a moment. Should he? Was he /allowed/? Was this a good idea?

Did he care?

Thinking about it for a moment, Bruce realized he didn’t. He looked up, small smile on his lips, slightly hopeful.

“I-I wouldn’t…M-mind it,” he murmured, nibbling his sleeve nervously. “If that’s wh-what you w-want?”

Bruce was going to kill him that’s what he was thinking right now. He takes a deep breath and sets his coffee down on the floor. He looks at Bruce and kisses him on the lips again bringing him closer to him by holding Bruce’s head. He separates from the kiss a few seconds later, “is that a good enough answer freckles,” he blushes as he smirks at Bruce.

Bruce’s face lights up like a ray of sunshine, and he smiles bright at Clint, reaching forward to touch Clint’s face gently, before he nodded his head. “Y-yeah,” he murmured, seeming slightly shocked, before he leaned forward to kiss Clint back.

Clint smiles at the kiss back and woots afterwards. “Bruce you had no idea how hard that was oh and in case you are wondering,” he said smugly, “Hulk’s ok with it. I wanted to ask Jade Jaws before I made a move on you,” he grins.

Bruce’s eyes widen. “Y-you asked H-H-Hulk for his bl-blessing?” He asked, before busting into giggles, covering his face with his hand. “Th-that’s so sw-sw-sweet,” he murmured, before ducking his head.

Clint flusters stuttering, “well…you know…he’s kind of like your brother and you do share the same body so yeah. I needed to check out that it would be ok,” he smirks at him, “because I don’t think he wants to be involved in our bedroom activities.”

"I underst-stand," Bruce said, still chuckling softly, watching Clint stammer and blush. He reached out, smiling.

“Y-you’re so c-c-cute,” he murmured suddenly, tugging lightly on the front of his shirt.

“Really,” he asks blushing a little, “I thought I looked pretty rugged myself,” he pulls Bruce’s hand away from his shirt. “Can you stop tugging your shirt like that? Between that and nibbling the sleeves you drive me crazy with your Bruce cuteness.”

Bruce glanced down, surprised, before looking at Clint and cocking his head. “Is b-b-being cute b-bad?” He asked, slightly confused, before he realized why it must have been so hard for Clint before promptly trying to make it worse, biting his lip and reaching out to tug on Clint’s shirt instead. “What w-would y-y-you rather I b-b-be,” he asked, fighting a smirk.

Clint growls, “Bruce you’re not playing fair,” he says watching him tease him. “Do you want sex to happen right now? If not you better stop teasing me,” he says gruffly.

He swallows, “being cute isn’t bad on you Bruce I just like being rugged and manly.”

"Y-you’re v-very rugged," Bruce murmured, leaning forward to peck a kiss to Clint’s cheek, and when he shifts back he’s fighting an embarrassed giggle as he looks down.

“M-maybe n-not /s-s-sex/ right now,” he says carefully, still absently tugging on Clint’s shirt. “B-but other th-things…”

Clint still is pouting when Bruce gives him a kiss before grinning at Bruce when he mentions ‘other things’, “other things like what freckles,” he asks getting closer to Bruce. Clint presses his body against Bruce and uses his finger to lift his chin. “Come on Bambi eyes what would you like to do?” He chuckles, “I told you not to tease me.”

Bruce gulped, fluttering his lashes. “I-if I’m Bambi,” he began, lips trembling. “Then y-you m-must be a big b-bad wolf.” His lips quirked into a teasing smile, one hand reaching out to touch Clint’s arm, trailing his fingers across it.

“What d-do b-b-big b-bad wolves do to l-little in-innocent deer?”

Clint smirks and looks at Bruce’s hands trailing down his arm before looking at Bruce with a predator grin, “wolves like to eat people, but this wolf would prefer to eat you out,” he grins as he grabs Bruce’s hand off his arm and pushes him gently back down on the bed. He pauses, “no sex right? So make out and jerk off cause you’re already getting me turned on,” he grins pressing his body against Bruce so he can feel him.

Bruce’s face burns, but he’s biting his lip to hide a grin, laying out, unresistant beneath Clint. His embarrassment is gone, and arches himself up to meet Clint, hand reaching up to grip his chin in one small palm.

“S-sounds like a pl-plan,” he replies, smirking.

Clint grins and begins to kiss him into the mattress when the door opens suddenly. He jumps off Bruce and glares at the person at the door.

“The fuck Tony haven’t you heard of knocking?”

Bruce squeaked in surprise, before slapping his hands over his blushing face as Tony came waltzing in, whistling AC/DC and smirking as he paused in the doorway.

“Aw, ain’t that cute. Did I interrupt a little bump-n-grind between the Tower’s new power couple?” He was snickered, leaning against the frame. “Just had to make sure you weren’t taking advantage of our resident deer, Barton, don’t look so upset.”

Clint groans before smirking, “wasn’t taking advantage Bruce gave me the ok until you cock blocked us asshole,” he says angry.

He hopes Bruce doesn’t mind him saying what he did but he was this close to getting it on with Bruce. He was pissed and he was horny and he had to take it slow because of Bruce because damn if his little Bambi didn’t deserve that shit. Take it slow, fuck yeah for you Bruce. Fucking Tony Stark, if he scared his deer out of getting it on he was going to lose his shit.

“Why don’t you go ask Steve to fondue already man and stop bothering us,” he teases him. Ever since that one picture got leaked on the internet there have been rumors about Steve and him. Clint doubted they were true because when does the news ever get anything right.

Tony went silent, his face going from light and joking to /death/, before he glared daggers at Clint, twitching. “You know that those articles were /bull/, and if you ever—”

Jarvis cut him off mid-rant, sounding prim and proper as ever, if slightly amused, “Sir, your project is currently on fire, and I believe it prudent that you return to it immediately. Unless you would rather shout at Agent Barton all day.”

Tony pushed himself off the doorframe, still glaring. “I’m gonna get you for that one, tweety. I’ll let you two get back to your bump-and-grind, but I’m gonna get you,” he said pointing at Clint before he turned in a flurry, closing the door behind him and shouting up at Jarvis as he went.

Bruce just laid on the bed, keeping his face covered, trying to hide his embarrassment.

“Aw is little Tony mad,” he laughs at him, “why don’t you get your own bump and grind on with Steve lover boy,” he teases as Tony walks out the door. “He looks up at the ceiling. Jarvis is there really a fire?”

He spots Bruce and forgets the question he asked Jarvis seeing Bruce’s embarrassment and sits on the bed by him, “are you ok?”

"It is a minor flame," Jarvis quips, sounding way too amused.

Clint chuckles, “you’re awesome Jarvis thanks.”

Bruce peeks out from behind his fingers at Clint, before hiding his face again. “I’m fine,” he mumbles, voice muffled by his hands.

“Sorry, s-sorry, I’m j-just embarrassed,” he mumbled after a second, turning his head away.

He frowns and pulls Bruce’s fingers away from his face, “Bruce it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he gives him a quick kiss, “it’s fine. Do you wanna try again?”

Bruce looked up at Clint, tips of his ears burning, but he nodded, biting his lip. “Y-yes,” he murmured, though he still felt like hiding his face. “C-can we sc-scare Tony again t-tomorrow. C-c-cause he’s a j-jerk?”

Clint smiles and gives him a kiss on the nose, “of course we can freckles. Jarvis make sure no one disturbs us for the rest of the day and keep the doors locked.”

"Of course, Agent Barton," Jarvis replies, and there’s a click at the door.

Bruce relaxes slightly, sighing, “th-thank you, Jarv-v-vis.” Bruce looks to Clint, smiling sheepishly. “Wh-where were we,” he asks coyly.

“I think we were at the part where I was straddling you and kissing you into the mattress right,” he teases.

Bruce tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. “Was th-that the part? Y-you’ll have to re-refresh my memory on h-how it went,” he smiled, looking at Clint expectantly.

Clint leans down and begins to kiss Bruce sucking on his lip. He tugs Bruce’s lip a bit before moving away suddenly to tease him, “refreshed yet freckles,” he teases.

Bruce makes a soft sound of protest when Clint moves away, moving closer himself and reaching up to put his hands on Clint’s shoulders. “V-very r-refreshing,” he says, chuckling softly and craning forward to kiss Clint again. “B-but more would b-be nice.”

Clint grins and leans back down to kiss him on the lips. He moves from Bruce’s lips to his collarbone and begins to suck there until he leaves a mark. “Now you’re mine.”

Bruce leans his head back for Clint, shivering at the feel of his lips pressing a bruise into his collar. “G-good,” he murmurs, gripping at Clint, “o-owned by the b-big b-bad wolf.” He could get behind that.

Clint doesn’t say anything else and keeps his ministrations up and kisses Bruce rubbing his hands down Bruce’s body pulling his shirt up. He tug Bruce’s shirt over his head and grins, “wow just wow. I knew you had freckles Bruce but damn freckles and a carpet.”

Bruce fought the urge to hide, blushing again. “I, uh—” he didn’t know how to respond, peeking down at Clint, feeling sensitive all over. “Y-you’re s-so o-odd,” he mumbled, reaching to touch Clint’s hair.

Clint purrs when Bruce touches his hair, “well everyone is odd…wait are you worried about your carpet turning me off? Freckles come on it’s turning me on can’t you feel that,” he says pressing against him. “It’s a good thing promise,” he says as he lays his hand on Bruce’s chest and begins to make small circles.

Bruce makes a soft squeak of surprise, running his fingers through Clint’s hair carefully. “O-okay,” he murmurs, smiling softly.

Clint chuckles, “have I told you the sounds you make sound cute yet,” he asks running his fingers along Bruce’s chest.

"I’m gl-glad you like them," Bruce replies softly, glancing down at Clint with a small, nervous smile. “I-I’ll make a-all the sounds you’d l-like, i-if you want,” he said coyly, smile pulling higher.

Clint leans down and kisses his chest looking up at Bruce, “I would like that a lot freckles. Tells me when I’m doing you right,” he grins as he leans up to kiss him on the lips as his hands explore Bruce’s body.

Bruce smiles into the kiss, laying pliant beneath Clint’s calloused hands, humming with pleasure wherever he touched.

Clint continues his ministrations and begins to grind on Bruce through their pants.

Bruce bucks slightly, letting out another surprised sound, gasping, before he bites down on his lip, afraid he’ll be too loud, and scrunches up his brow.

Clint kisses him along the throat and rubs his thumb over Brue’s lips, “wanna hear ya,” he slurs caught up in the moment as he goes back to making Bruce feel good.

Bruce’s breathes stutter, and he opens his mouth at Clint’s word, allowing himself to groan breathlessly as Clint continues across his skin.

Clint smirks and takes that moment to suck on his throat until he leaves a mark. He trails up his neck and kisses Bruce on the mouth pushing his tongue into Bruce’s mouth.

Bruce kissed him back, wrapping his arms around his neck and trying to greedily attach himself to him.

Clint let’s Bruce pull him down as he continues to kiss him.

An hour later Clint is laying on the bed holding Bruce by him. He had left a lot of marks on Bruce’s chest and neck and made sure Bruce’s lips were swollen. He grins at his handy work as he snuggles up against Bruce bare chested.

Bruce was calm and content, lazily clinging to Clint and humming softly to himself. He felt absolutely /ravished/, and he wouldn’t have been able to tell up from down if someone had asked. It was amazing.

Clint grins, “so will this happened every time I ask for you to make coffee,” he teases kissing Bruce behind the ear.

Bruce smiled, before rolling his eyes. “Y-you’re gonna m-make coffee for /me/ n-next time,” he murmured, smirking, “and th-then maybe y-you can do m-more than touch,” he chuckled, hiding his face and he scooted further back against Clint.

He grins and pokes him gently, “Is that a promise? Because I’ll make coffee now I’ll make all the coffee,” he teases Bruce.

Bruce squirms, laughing, “y-you can m-make all the c-coffee later. Right now, we sn-snuggle.” He was grinning, and he turned more fully to press himself to Clint’s chest. He was calling the shots for now, and he loved it.

“Aw just snuggling Bruce,” he laughs before pulling him into a hug and wrapping his leg around him, “ok I can deal with this freckles.”

Clint didn’t know what to say or do at this point he was just so happy. I mean sure they hadn’t had sex yet but that could wait this making out and snuggling thing was working out pretty great.

Clint was like the best blanket Bruce had ever had, and he thought this very seriously. Big and warm, holding him close, Bruce felt happy. Safe.

Bruce felt amazing.

“I l-love you, Clint,” he mumbled against the archers chest, smiling.

Clint pulls back, “wha-what did you say,” he asked nervously.

He couldn’t have heard Bruce right. He loves him? They’ve only know each other a few days and well he likes Bruce but he doesn’t want to say the words and fuck it up like he usually does. He has to make sure Bruce really said it cause yeah he loves the fluffy scientist. Doesn’t matter how long they’ve known each other he loves the fluffy scientist.

Bruce looks up at Clint, confused, before he realizes what he’d said. Oh. He’d just said what he’d felt and he’d /messed up/, oh god.

They hadn’t even known each other very long. He couldn’t expect Clint to /love him/. He’d messed up, abort, back track.

“I—I j-j-just—I—” he stammered, not able to say it, but also not able to say he /didn’t/, so he just stuttered, trying not to panic.

Clint frowns looking at Bruce as he caresses Bruce’s face, “Bruce it’s ok don’t freak out. I just didn’t hear you all the way…now um…what did you say,” he asks blushing.

"I-I s-s-said…" Bruce swallowed nervously, face red as he glanced down. "Said I l-love y-y-you," he mumbles, avoiding Clint’s eyes.

Clint’s eyes widen before he forces Bruce to look at him. He blushes, “I…I love ya too.”

Bruce looked up at him, biting his lip, before a small, nervous smile pulled at his lips and he reached up, touching Clint’s blushing cheek.

“G-g-good,” he said, teasingly. “G-getting coffee would b-be weird otherw-wise.”

Clint let’s out a laugh, “yeah it would be,” he clears his throat getting serious. “Bruce I’m not an easy guy to love. I go out on missions could be gone for months get in danger all the time and just stuff. So I’m going to screw up one day just thought I should tell you in case you don’t want to uh…want to uh follow through and stuff,” he blushes embarrassed.

"And I-I have an a-alter ego that t-takes over f-for days at a time, I g-get over exc-cited and sc-scared over n-nothing, and I s-sometimes m-might tr-try to run away wh-when I’m h-happy," Bruce listed off, shrugging. "I-I’m no pr-prize. W-would you still l-love me?"

He nods his head and gives him a quick kiss, “you’re the best prize to me.”

Bruce smiled proudly, “and so a-are you,” he replied, kissing him back quickly. “Even i-if you’re a big d-dummy.” He smirked, teasingly poking Clint in the stomach.

He pouts, “I’m not that dumb otherwise you wouldn’t want to be with me Bruce. Now what does that say about you,” he grins.

Bruce chuckled. “Tr-true. Y-you’re only sl-slightly dumb.”

Clint sighs, “Do you really think I’m dumb? Just cause I didn’t get degrees like you doesn’t mean I’m dumb.”

Bruce blinked, before he shook his head. “N-no, I’m k-kidding!” he reassured Clint. “B-besides, h-h-having degrees doesn’t m-make you smart; th-that just makes you b-book smart.”

Clint looks over at Bruce, “you’re not just saying that to make me feel better are you?”

"N-no, it’s true. B-besides, you’re a s-super spy, right?" Bruce looked at him seriously. "Y-you can’t be d-dumb with a j-job like that. Y-you’re probably sm-smarter then T-Tony in some way."

He shrugs, “Natasha’s more of a super spy I’m just a real good shot with a bow…use to be an assassin for hire that sort of thing.”

"Well, y-you must be a m-math genius," Bruce said, shrugging. "Bow and a-arrow sk-skills t-take v-very reasonable m-minds w-with amazing spatial reasoning ab-bilities." He smiled, "b-being hired g-guns doesn’t make you a m-meat head."

Clint smiles and gives him a hug, “aw thanks honey you’re the best,” he grins before giving him a kiss, “so you want something to eat or…”

Just then the alarm goes off and Clint groans, “are you kidding me? Jarvis is this a real alarm or did Tony pull something?”

"I’m sorry to say that Master Stark has not currently set off any false alarms. There is a minor level disturbance going on, and SHIELD has alerted me that they would like the Avengers assistance."

Bruce looked up to the ceiling, sucking in a worried breath. What could be going on now?

Clint pats Bruce on the chest, “they said minor freckles you don’t need to come,” he sighs getting his work gear back on, “I’ll see you after we deal with whatever this is,” he grumbles, “Jarvis what type of attack is it now?’

Jarvis turns the screen on and shows a minor super villain. Clint face palms and drags his hand down his face, “seriously we have to go to that one great just great.”

He gets the rest of his gear on and straps his bow and arrows to his back. He looks back over a Bruce pouting, “hey Bruce don’t I get a kiss before my battle,” he asks batting his eyelashes.

Bruce didn’t like the idea of letting Clint and the team go off without the Hulk—he was the strongest of them all, after all—but Clint said he wasn’t needed, so he’d allow for it. He got up, carefully, and padded over to Clint, going up on his toes to kiss his archer.

“Be s-safe,” he murmured seriously. “N-no jumping off st-stuff.”

Clint grins and kisses him back, “I don’t think I will but no promises. Bruce this guy looks easy to take out. I should be back in an hour or so, so keep your shirt off and we can make out again ok freckles.”

Bruce blushes, but rolls his eyes, chuckling and pushing Clint lightly. “G-go save the world th-then, my big h-hero,” he grumbles, though he feels much less worried about it. If Clint thinks they can take him, they can.

Tony’s voice comes over the intercom. “Clint, if you don’t hurry your feathered ass up I will personally lock you out of Bruce’s private chambers. Let’s /go/.”

Clint grins before groaning at Tony, “aw trouble in paradise Tony. I’m sure Cap will warm up to you soon. Hell he still might be a little frozen but soon you’ll be able to unlock his ass,” he laughs giving Bruce a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving out the door.

Bruce goes to sit on the bed, cross-legged, and closes his eyes, thinking meditation would be a good way to wait.

Tony sputters over the coms, and once Clint is with the team Tony just glares at him the entire time. “You are a terrible friend Clint, just terrible, how can Bruce even stand you?”

Clint shrugs, “because I’m awesome Stark get use to it,” he grins as he begins to get into position. This villain should be easy to take out piece of cake. He’ll be back in Bruce’s arms in no time.


	10. Hospital

Clint was partially right—when they went out to the villain he wasn’t much, just some half-baked guy hell bent on owning the world—and they’d dealt with that a hundred times before, no problem—and the team was almost bored fighting off his hired goons with their big guns.

And then, of course, as their luck went, the villain brought out a different sort of weapon—some mutated monster he’d hidden in a warehouse, and let loose on them when they looked ready to win.

“Son of a bitch,” says Clint as he notches his bomb arrow to fire at the monster.

Steve throws his shield at the monster who knocks Steve away, “Clint take the shot,” he groans getting up from the ground.

“On it cap,” he says releasing the bomb arrow. It lands on the monster and explodes. The smoke clears and the monster is still up and moving. It spots Clint and roars as it swipes it’s hand across Clint making him fall two stories to the ground on a car.

Tony zipped over, trying to shoot the beast, and paused in shock when Clint went tumbling. “Shit, /shit/, Tasha, get Clint!” He yelled over the comms, shooting the beast with his uni-beam and trying to flatten it.  
Natasha went sprinting for Clint, skidding to a halt next to the car and reaching up, careful. “Clint, Clint wake up, are you okay??”

Clint looks at Natasha, “Bruce is gonna be pissed. I think I broke my leg or both…back is killing me,” he groans, “Prop me up I’m going to kill that cock blocking monster,” he growls out trying to lift himself from the car.

Steve tries to distract the monster for Tony, “hit him now Tony.”

Natasha rolled her eyes, annoyed she had even been worried. “Shut up, Clint,” she muttered, before she reached out and tugged him down, half-carrying him. “Be glad you didn’t break your spine, idiot.”  
“Thanks Cap!” Tony called into the coms, blasting the beast in the back and sending him falling to the ground with a screech.

“Ouch Natasha,” he says as he is pulled down to Natasha limping, “you don’t have a woman’s touch at all…wait sorry the pain is messing with mouth. Don’t mean it Natasha,” he says a little panicked as he tries to walk with her. “One shot,” he asks before huffing, “damnit Tony I wanted to shoot him.”

Natasha gives Clint a death glare, before she marches him off, rolling her eyes. “You’ve got a broken leg, Clint—you’re not shooting any monster.”

The thing made another sound, and was promptly shot by Tony a second time. “Please stay dead I am not in the mood today,” he grumbled, and Natasha snorted.

“Let’s call SHIELD for clean up, and get Clint to medical, yeah?”

“But the monster cock blocked me Natasha,” he whines as he limps, “Natasha you understand don’t ya,” he asks limping with her to a safe area to sit down. “Nat don’t tell Bruce yet please?”

Steve answers on the com, “call Shield now Tony.”

Natasha sits Clint down, listening to his whining with a sigh. “Clint, please shut up, you get annoying when you’re in pain,” she replies, before she sits next to him. “And we’ll tell Bruce once you’re in treatment; we can’t just lie to him.”

Tony called SHIELD, coming to land and opening his visor, laughing. “Clint! Guess what! This is called karma you asshole of an archer!” If Clint had been really hurt, of course he would have acted different, but Clint was fine so he just laughed at him.

Clint sighs and nods his head at Natasha. He glares at Tony before he sees Steve.

“Hey Cap Tony wants the key to your ass apparently he has a crush on you. Tony shame on you for teasing him to get his attention that is no way to treat a person you like,” he grins.

Steve takes a moment to process it and blushes, “did he hit his head,” he asks Natasha.

Natasha nods to Cap, looking annoyed. “He definitely hit his head. Hard.”

Tony stomped towards Clint. “I’m going to shoot you, Clint, I’m going to shoot you and tell your boytoy that you stepped infront of my uni-beam, I’m going to…” He trailed off his threat, raising a metal fist.

Clint grins, “oh really let’s see how he takes it Tinman,” he grins using Hulk’s nickname for him as a warning.

Tony steps forward, only to step back when SHIELD medical finally comes zooming in, flipping down his visor. “Have fun at the hospital—I’ll go tell Bruce you already managed to break a leg without him!” He shouts, before he zooms off, annoyed. Natasha stands as the medical team comes to help Clint.

Clint glares at him as the medical team takes care of him, “fuck you Stark,” he shouts at him. He sighs and looks at Natasha and frowns, “Nat how bad do you think Bruce is going to take this?”

Natasha rolled her eyes, arms crossed over her chest. “Clint, if you’re asking /me/ how he’s going to react, you already know it’s going to be bad.” She hid a smirk. “Just try to act like you’re fine and I’m sure he won’t freak out too bad.” The medical team loaded Clint up, and Natasha jumped into the ambulance with them.

He looks at Natasha, “Nat this is Bruce not Hulk he’s going to freak out. My poor little Bambi,” he says as the medics had given him some pain reliever, “dude that shit is good…but Nat casts aren’t sexy how do you make casts sexy Nat come on you have to know.”

Natasha was trying not to laugh, keeping her face stoic. “I’m sorry, Clint, you’re right; Bruce is going to freak out and probably die in sheer panic,” she said solemnly, before her lips quirked. “And you can only make casts sexy if you wear /nothing/ but the cast. It’s a fact.”

Clint looks up at her with doe like eyes, “Tasha get me naked once we’re at the hospital I wanna be sexy for Bruce,” he said the drugs taking effect.

Natasha couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing, turning around so she didn’t have to look at him, shaking her head. “Oh god, Clint, /no/,” was all she could manage, laughing even harder.

“Natasha you’re my bro you have to help please,” he whines at her as the ambulance arrives at the hospital. The medics take him out and rush him to the back to get his leg fixed.

Natasha is still laughing, and waves him off as they wheel him away, and she’s still out waiting in the lobby when Bruce comes in with Tony, biting into the edge of his sweater anxiously and staring around with wide, worried eyes.

“Tony, that wasn’t nice,” is the first thing Natasha says to the scientist as she stands.

“Clint should be out soon,” is what she tells Bruce.

“Come on Natasha birdboy deserves it. Yeah Bruce it was really bad fell off a building and onto a car,” Tony says grinning wanting to get Clint back for earlier, “He’s still alive because he’s stubborn like that.”

Bruce chews his sleeve even more anxiously, and he looks a bit green about the gills, but he just paces quietly.

“He’s fine,” Natasha says, rolling her eyes. “He’s just getting a cast and a few bumps and bruises fixed—”

“Hulk should’a caught him,” is all Bruce mumbles as he paces.

Tony doesn’t think of what he says, “Oh yeah he could have taken that monster beast at the end out in one punch. Would have been so much easier. Everything else was easy.”

Steve grabs Tony by the shoulder, “Tony come away and go home.”

Bruce’s shoulders slump and he looks at the floor, frowning deeply. Natasha picks up a magazine, moving around Bruce, and wacks Tony over the head with it.

“You. Out. You’re making things worse.” Just then the doctor comes out.

Tony hisses at the slap, “I did not,” he pouts as Steve takes him away.

“Is there a Bruce Banner here,” he asks looking at the group, “Mr. Barton was very adamant at seeing you first.”

Bruce looks up, wide eyed, and nods frantically, heading quickly towards the doctor. Natasha watches thoughtfully, speaking up. “I’m headin’ out, Bruce—watch Clint, make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” And then she disappears after Tony.

Tony whines as he is taken away. The doctor chuckles, “you have some lively friends Mr. Banner.”

The doctor begins to lead him to Clint’s room when he hears a commotion coming from the room.

“No I have to be sexy for Bruce,” says Clint pulling off his hospital gown so he can be naked.

“Mr. Barton you need to stop and calm down,” says the nurse trying not to blush and get Clint under control.

Bruce peeks his head inside the room, confused by the commotion, before he squeaks in surprise.  
“Cl-Clint, p-put your clothes on,” he says, voice high and strained as he looks over at the wall, face burning red. “St-stop harassing n-nurses!”

Clint grins widely at Bruce, “but Bruce I need to be naked to be sexy cause I got a cast and this stuff is awesome,” he yells laying on the bed calmly for Bruce to come closer. “Bruce Bruce come her closer,” he grins before whispering to him, “wanna break the bed in,” he laughs, “come on I missed the make out stuff cause I’m in the hospital and stuff and I want kisses lots of them Bambi…” he continues to ramble as the nurse leaves.

“I’ll leave you two alone then,” the doctor blushes leaving the room.

Clint glares at the doctor and reaches up and pulls Bruce down, “my fluffy scientist not yours.”

Bruce let’s out a surprised noise, blinking wide eyes at Clint’s insistence, trying not to look at Clint.  
“Y-you’re n-n-n-not yourself,” Bruce stammers, blushing hard. “It’s the dr-dr-drugs.”  
He can’t believe he has Clint all over him like this, so insistent and needy. “Y-you’re /hurt/.”

Clint looks down at himself and touches himself, “I’m Clint freckles,” he chuckles, “Clint freckles like a last name…hey when we get really really really serious whose name do we take? Can we be called freckles yeah Clint Freckles and Bruce Freckles and then David Freckles too or Becky Freckles cause we gotta have kids lots and lots of kids…”

Bruce swallows, flustered and upset and worried, and sucks it up, turning around to pull the hospital blanket up and over Clint, gently pushing him down.

“L-lots of kids?” Bruce asks, trying to distract Clint. “And I-I like the s-s-sound of Bruce Fr-freckles, you’re very g-good at this.” He doesn’t want to do anything with Clint while he’s not all there, so he just tries to cover him and tuck him in. Even if Clint is incredibly tempting.

“Yeah lots of kids…we get them from all the orphanages and help them so they don’t end up like me and stupid. We could build an orphanage and have our kids sleep there and stuff…” He keeps pushing the covers off when Bruce tucks him in, “aw Bruce no. Get in bed so we can make out please.”

Bruce makes a slightly frustrated sound, but gives in eventually. “O-okay, Cl-Clint,” he mumbles, crawling up onto the bed with him. “B-but tell me m-more about our or-orphanage,” he says as he scoots in next to Clint, trying to distract him.

Clint turns to look at Bruce as he gets in and gives Bruce a kiss, “we’d have the best orphanage ever. No one would go hungry and you could be the chef or a teacher yeah you could teach science things and stuff,” he yawns.

Bruce smiled slightly, despite himself, and kissed Clint on the forehead, brushing a hand over his hair. “I-I teach sc-science and st-stuff, you t-teach athl-letics,” he replied, trying to get Clint to fall asleep, curling up against him. “Everyone w-would be h-happy.”

“Yeah,” he yawns, “I love ya Bruce…ma always said tell the person you love I lova ya before sleep and stuff,” he mumbles falling asleep.

Bruce chuckled softly, still gently petting Clint’s hair as he fell asleep, before he carefully shifted so he could watch Clint quietly while he slept.

Clint was okay. He was alive. But Bruce still felt like that could change at any moment, and didn’t want to close his eyes. Just in case.


	11. Escape

Clint sleeps for the rest of night and keeps tossing and turning before kicking Bruce in the leg with his cast and drooling on the pillow. He wakes up blearily with a huge headache and groans as he wakes up, “why am I in a hospital?”

Bruce hadn’t slept much, and had tried to help Clint adjust while he was sleeping. It was uncomfortable and gave him too much time to think, and by the time Clint woke up he was feeling absolutely awful.

“Y-y-you f-fell off-f-ff a building,” he said, scrambling to get up and get Clint a drink of water. “Br-broke your l-l-leg.”

Clint groans, “broke my leg…hey why am I naked,” he grins over at Bruce, “did we have hospital sex? Oh freckles I didn’t know you were so kinky. You wore a doctor’s outfit too…”

Bruce blushed, ducking his head and shaking it as he brought Clint his water. “Y-y-you were on dr-drugs; I d-didn’t w-w-want to take advantage,” he murmured, holding out the cup of water, still looking down.

Clint smiles, “aw you’re such a sweetie. Hey you wanna look at what you’re getting into,” he asks shifting the blankets away and exposing himself to Bruce, “like what ya see freckles,” he grins teasing Bruce.

Bruce squeaked, blushing furiously now. “Cl-Clint!” He scolded, nearly dropping the water. Of /course/ Bruce liked what he saw, but he wasn’t sure he could find the words to say it without feeling shy, so he looked away.

“Y-you’re…v-v-very impressive,” he stammered.

Clint grins and wiggles as he puts the blanket back over him, “thanks freckles only you get to see this impressive body. Now I showed you mine how about you show me yours,” he teases.

Bruce tugs at the end of his sweater, looking like he’s ready to become one with his inner turtle and hide inside it. “Y-y-you’ve seen me,” he says, glancing around. “A-a-and this i-is a h-hospital, Cl-Clint—I h-have no excuse t-to be n-naked.”

Clint frowns a little, “I was just teasing ya a little. It was a joke I wasn’t serious about you getting naked. By the way people have only seen you half naked or I have anyway. So I haven’t seen your little Hulk at all ok Bruce.”

Bruce glances up at Clint, brow furrowed as he frowns. “S-s-sorry.” He was feeling upset, and joking just made it worse, because he liked Clint’s teasing, he did, but it just made him think how hopelessly in love he was.

How terribly scared he still was.

Clint shrugs and winces, “don’t worry about it freckles a good hug and kiss and I’ll be good as new,” he flirts.

Bruce wished it was that easy.

He leaned onto the bed, pecking a quick kiss to the corner of Clint’s mouth and giving him a hug, trying his best to not seem awkward. He failed, miserably, but he tried, so A for effort.

Clint smiles at the kiss and when Bruce hugs him awkwardly he puts on arm around his waist and pulls him in the bed with him awkward limbs and all. “Hey look at that Bruce I caught a cutie better hold him tight,” he laughs.

Bruce can’t help a small snort, shaking his head as Clint drags him into his arms, and Bruce hugs him a bit tighter then, a bit more fiercely. “Y-y-you c-caught me,” he murmurs, pressing his face into Clint’s neck.

“Sh-should’a c-caught you,” he mutters, half to himself.

Clint hugs him back before pushing Bruce away and looking into his eyes, “I know where you’re going with that statement freckles. It wasn’t your fault.”

"H-hulk w-would’a caught you," Bruce says stubbornly, frowning. "H-he c-c-could’a beat up the m-monster before it got n-near you!"

He looked down, scowling, and for all the world he looked like a small, sulking hulk, minus the green.

Clint rolls his eyes, “he couldn’t have caught me in time and fought the monster off. Bruce come on babe stop please,” he asks caressing Bruce’s face.

Bruce leans into Clint’s hand, lip quivering slightly. “H-he could’a caught you. Y-y-y-you’re supposed to be s-s-/safe/,” he said adamantly, face crumbling. “H-he’s supposed t-to keep you s-safe!”

Clint sighs, “Bruce it was an accident. I jump off buildings all the time…well I fall too not the point. The point is even if Jade Jaws did catch me another team mate would be in the hospital bed so blaming yourself over it won’t help. I told you I get hurt and messed up like this a lot. Don’t believe me go ask Natasha she’ll tell you some awesome stories of how stupid I am.”

Bruce looked up at Clint, face taught with concern. “I-I d-don’t want you to g-get hurt,” he said, though he knew he was just being stubborn now. He couldn’t fix it, couldn’t help, and Clint was so…fragile compared to him.

“I c-can’t get h-h-hurt, but y-you can.”

Clint sighs, “if I called you all sorts of slurs and names and broke up with you right now you would be hurt so you can still get hurt Bruce just not physically.” He rubs Bruce’s back, “it’s just a cast not a big deal. Natasha said the only way to make it sexy would be naked so I have to be naked a lot of the time so I can be sexy for ya,” he smiles at Bruce joking with him.

He really just wants Bruce to forget. He’s kind of lucky Bruce isn’t going into a lecture with how stupid he acted so he’s happy.

Bruce went from frowning at his hands to smiling softly, lips twitching upwards, and he looked up at Clint, fighting a small giggle. “Natasha t-told you to g-get naked to be s-sexy?” He couldn’t help laughing at that. “Y-y-you know y-you’re s-s-sexy anytime, r-right?”

He didn’t want to argue with Clint, and while he didn’t feel completely better, he did feel well enough to joke.

He nods his head happy that Bruce is laughing, “yeah if I’m naked you won’t be focusing on the cast. It’s such a downer,” he chuckles.

Bruce shook his head, sitting back on the hospital bed and biting his lip. “Y-you could b-be wearing a c-clown suit and you’d st-st-still be s-sexy,” Bruce said, grinning crookedly at Clint. He exaggerated looking him up and down, even if he was under a blanket, and nodded his approval.

Clint grimaces, “ugh don’t remind me,” he sighs and looks up at Bruce better now than later, “have you ever read my file?”

Bruce cocks his head, frowning. “N-no, I h-haven’t,” he says, resting his hands on his knees. “Wh-why?”

Clint sighs and puts his forearm over his eyes and mumbles, “I was in the circus.”

"Th-the circus?" Bruce leans forward, curious as to why Clint would say something like that in such an upset way.

“Yeah circus,” he says embarrassed in front of Bruce. Here’s the guy who completed his schooling became a doctor and is way over the top smart talking to a carnie. “I learned how to use the bow there but that wasn’t my first act until later…I was a clown.”

Bruce stared at him in confusion for a long moment, before his face split into a wide smile, and he poked at Clint’s arm. “R-really?” He could imagine it, actually—Clint /was/ a clown—but he also had always loved circus’. “I-I bet y-you were am-mazing.”

His eyes widen, “dude it was terrible. Do you know what it means to be a clown? You are literally at the bottom and the others clown try to fight you to get to the top or stop being a clown,” he pouts crossing his arms, “I didn’t stop being a clown until I got the acrobat act…I think that was after I did a few flips over the drunk clown yeah Timothy or some crap…bad day to be a clown. I won though,” he shrugs, “then my bow skills were awesome so mixed the acrobat skills with the arrows it was a solid act.

Bruce looked at Clint sympathetically at that, frowning slightly. “I-it was th-that bad?” He asked, unsure. He’d never thought of something like that happening in a circus. Circus’ were supposed to be…fun. At least, the two times he’d been to one.

He shrugs, “it wasn’t glamorous. Don’t think too much on it freckles it’s in the past.”

Bruce carefully patted Clint’s arm, trying for comforting. “Th-the past still s-sucks in th-the present,” he said, before he scooted forward to trying and hug Clint again.

Clint nods his head and hugs Bruce, “yeah but your hugs make up for it. Hey Bruce, just cause I hated the circus doesn’t mean we can’t go to one when I get my cast off alright,” he grins, “I saw your smile when I mentioned the circus we’ll go next time it’s in town.”

"Really?" Bruce perked up, smiling brightly as he hugged Clint tighter. "Th-that’d be w-wonderful," he said, happy. "My m-mama took m-me to see the c-circus once, and I l-loved it!"

Oh so that’s why he likes the circus. He can just see it now little Bruce holding onto his mom’s hand as she takes him to see the animals before the show. Bruce’s big eyes lighting up at the death defying stunts watching the act with his mom. He smiles at Bruce and nods his head, “yeah sure once my cast is off.”

Bruce kisses his cheek, smiling, and sighs happily. “Aw-awesome,” he breathes, leaning against Clint. He’d loved the circus—especially the elephants. “W-we gotta s-s-see the eleph-phants,” he said, nodding. “Th-the best animal e-ever.”

“Not if you’re picking their shit up,” he laughs, “huge mounds of it man not fun, but you wanna see the elephants you got it,” he smiles. He looks around not seeing anyone else, “hey you can speak doctor right? Can you sneak me out?”

Bruce snickered, before he rolls his eyes. “Cl-Clint, you’re n-naked and h-have a casted leg; I’d h-have to c-carry you out the w-window if you w-wanted out.”

“So you can do that,” he whines. “Just grab my clothes from that wardrobe thing Natasha stuck them in there for later please Bruce please?”

Bruce let out a dramatic, long suffering sigh, before he chuckled, kissing Clint’s cheek and getting up to grab his clothes, handing them to him and looking around until he found a wheel chair tucked away in one corner.  
“I c-c-can’t carry y-you—I /can/ push.”

Clint quickly gets the clothes on pulling the IV’s from his hand, “It’s ok freckles we just gotta act like super spies and sing the mission impossible song in our head,” he grins as he struggle to get his pants over the cast.

Bruce glances away as he changes and rolls his eyes. “O-of course,” he replies, smiling fondly and waiting for Clint to get his pants on. “J-just d-don’t act suspicious, Cl-Clint.”

Clint grins, “course not Bruce. Hey can you help me get my pants on? I can’t get the pant leg over the cast.”

Bruce takes a deep breath, before he goes over to help Clint, unsure where to lay his hands. “Ah, wh-where do y-you, um, need my h-h-help?”

Clint smirks, “where do you think I need help. I have a package I just can’t unwrap by myself,” he laughs, “ok being serious now, I just can’t get the pant leg over the cast,” he says pointing.

Bruce nods, ignoring Clint’s joke and trying to help him pull the pants up over the cast, trying to focus intently on the cast and /not/ the rest of the hunky man.

Clint notices Bruce eyes wandering and smirks as the pant leg finally gets over the cast, “like what ya see don’t ya freckles. What was it you said it’s impressive right,” he teases.

Bruce clears his throat, releasing the pants once they’re up, and twiddles his thumbs, blushing. “V-very impressive,” Bruce squeaks, biting his lip. “R-ready to go?” He asks quickly, trying to change the subject.

Clint nods his head, “yeah just bring the wheelchair over and let’s escape.”

Bruce wheels the chair over, and holds out his hands to help Clint down, mindful of his cast and other bumps and bruises, nodding as he helps.

Clint let’s Bruce help him into the chair and once he is seated grins, “come on master escape artist get me out of here,” he grins.

Bruce rolls his eyes at Clint, before he starts pushing his wheelchair. “J-just don’t g-get us c-c-caught,” Bruce says, shaking his head as they exit the room, standing up a bit taller and looking around, face bored.

“I know Bruce I won’t cope a feel on you right now,” he grins, “later definitely,” he says as Bruce wheels him to the elevator of the hospital, “do you have a car or are we calling a taxi?”

"T-taxi," Bruce replies as he hits the elevator button. "T-tony’s t-tab pays for it," he says, shrugging, and absently reaching out to touch Clint’s shoulder before the elevator doors open.

Clint nods his head before looking down as the elevator bings and opens the door. “There are only a few nurses and doctor’s roaming the halls as they make their way outside to the side walk.

Bruce walks quickly and carefully as he rolls Clint, and once they’re out of the main lobby he gives a sigh of relief, ready to get back to the Tower with Clint already.

Clint sighs and whistle loudly for a taxi, “you gotta whistle and wave for those guys,” he says, “come on freckles wave for the guy.”

Bruce waves a taxi down, trying not to be timid as a taxi drives near and he opens the door, going to help Clint into the back with him.

Clint hobbles in the back of the car with Bruce help and tells the driver to drive them to the tower once Bruce is inside. The driver begins to drive them to their destination and Clint grins as he grabs Bruce’s hand.

Bruce smiles crookedly over at Clint, carefully petting the back of his hand while they drive, humming to himself.

Clint leans on him and sighs, “what are you humming?”

Bruce glances up at him, pausing his humming. “A t-tune my m-mama used to pl-play on the p-piano,” he says, taking Clint’s hand as he continues his humming, playing with his fingers.

Clint smiles and snuggles into Bruce’s shoulder more, “your mom have as nice as voice as you freckles?”

Bruce smiled fondly, turning a bit so he could snuggle right back. “Sh-she had a v-very pretty v-voice,” he murmured, reminiscing. “Sh-she always s-sang me to sl-sleep.” It felt good, talking about his mother; he missed her so much, and it had been so long.

Clint smiles, “hmm wish I could have met her. She sounds nice,” he stretches, “maybe you can sing to me when we get home…” He freezes realizing what he just said. He called the Tower home and it has been for a while but now Bruce is a part of his home too.

Bruce glances at Clint, quiet for a short moment, before he kisses Clint’s cheek, lips pulling up into a smile. “I-I wouldn’t m-mind that,” he murmurs. Home. How long since he’d had a home? Too long. But Clint /was/ his home now, wasn’t he? He felt like he was, at the very least.

Clint lets out a sigh of relief and hugs him, “good…hey Bruce how mad do you think Hulk is going to be about me being in a cast. You were pretty mad earlier.”

Bruce looked up at Clint and made a face. “M-madder than m-me,” he said, shaking his head. “H-he already th-thinks you’re a b-b-baby.”

Clint pouts, “I am not a baby. Ugh it’s going to suck when he gets out for a week. Did you hear what he did last time? Kept calling me baby bird and wouldn’t let me do anything.”

Bruce smiled. “G-good,” he said, chuckling. “H-he can m-make sure you d-don’t do anything st-stupid.” He was glad his other half could watch over Clint as carefully as he did.

“Bruce no,” he whines as the cab stops outside the Towers, “I don’t wanna. He carried me for a week one time because I sprained my arm what do you think he’s going to do with this,” he says pointing at the cast as he tries to get out of the car. “Oh shit crutches…”

Bruce gets out around the other side, going around so he can help Clint out of the car. “J-just lean on m-me,” he said as he pulled him up. “A-and he j-just wants to make s-sure you’re safe,” he said, shaking his head. Bruce would carry Clint around too, if he was strong enough.

Clint groans as he hops using Bruce as a crutch, “but Bruce he carries me like a kid or like one of those gorillas. It makes me feel like a kid and I hate it,” he says as they enter the building.

Bruce glances sideways at Clint, helping him along carefully. “Sounds t-terrible,” he said, sarcastic, and headed for the elevator. “Y-you’ll be f-fine. It’s only one w-week.”

“Only one week he says,” grumbling as they make it to the elevator. Clint slams the floor number, “I have to wear the cast for a month he’s going to do it for two weeks.”

Bruce rolls his eyes, but looks up at Clint after a moment, frowning. “A-are you r-really upset?” He asks as the elevator rises. “I c-c-could talk to h-him?” He doesn’t want Clint to be /mad/; he’s sure he could convince the Hulk not to make Clint angry by carrying him around, if he asked him enough.

He shakes his head no, “not upset just annoyed because I know he’s going to do it anyway. It’s like going to a doctor you know you have to but you don’t want to but it’s going to happen.”

The elevator door pings and Clint gets off with Bruce, “your bed or mine?”

Bruce sighed, relieved, before he glanced up at Clint. He’d never been in Clint’s room before, and since /Clint/ was the hurt one he was sure he’d want to be in his own room.  
“Y-yours,” he said.

Clint smirks, “trying to get in my pants I see oh wait you already were earlier,” he teases as they head for his room. Once at the door Clint opens it, “yeah it’s a mess but that only means it’s being lived in.”

Bruce chuckles as he helps Clint into the room, glancing around at the mess. “I-I like it,” he said, smiling slyly up at Clint. “Ch-chaotic. Like y-you.”

“Me chaotic never,” he grins as he hobbles over to his bed. “Bruce can you lay down with me please? I want my teddy bear.”

Bruce rolls his eyes, but helps Clint down onto the bed, moving to come up beside him. “As y-you w-wish,” he says, chuckling softly.

“Love you too Bruce,” he grins, “please tell me you’ve seen the Princess Bride.”

"In-in-inconceivable!" Bruce shouted, before he smiled happily over at Clint, chuckling. "I m-may have s-s-seen it a few t-times."

Clint grins, “oh then you know what it means when you say as you wish. Hmm I’ll keep that in mind. Hey I got the movie somewhere by the TV if you wanna watch it.”

Bruce nodded, grinning. “Y-yeah! That’d be f-fun,” he said, jumping off the bed to go and look for the movie. He liked the idea of cuddling and watching a movie with Clint. It felt so…domestic.

Clint chuckles, “hurry back freckles I want my teddy bear,” he whines sticking his tongue out at him.

Bruce rolled his eyes, looking for the movie and, once he found it, putting it into the player, hitting play and coming to hop onto the bed next to Clint—though he was mindful of his leg. “You b-big baby,” he said, chuckling and kissing his cheek.

Clint mock gasps at Bruce, “I am not,” he pouts as he snuggles up against Bruce while the movie plays. “Bruce you have to take care of me cause I’m hurt so you should be nicer to me,” he leans up and gives him a kiss, “see that right there was a warning.”

Bruce snickers, kissing Clint back as he shifts to snuggle against him. “I-I’ll take care of y-you,” he says, grinning. “M-my /big b-baby/,” he teases, taking Clint’s hand in his as the movie starts.

Clint slaps him in the shoulder before he holds Bruce’s hand as they watch the movie, “fine be mean see if I help you when you’re sick you jerk,” he teases sticking his tongue out.

Clint begins to relax and drift off to sleep during the middle of the movie. The medicine was still in his system making him sleepy. He wakes up suddenly a few minutes later and looks shocked as he looks at Bruce, “Bruce what did I say when I was drugged out of my mind?”

Bruce had been happily sitting next to Clint, watching the movie, and jumped when he jerked back awake. He looked over at Clint, nervously, and frowned. “Wh-what do you m-mean?” He’d said a lot of things while drugged, that was for sure.

“Something about getting millions of kids and owning an orphanage? Maybe it was a drug dream?”

Bruce hid a chuckle, nodding solemnly. “Y-yes; you said we w-were going to adopt h-hundreds of s-sad children and o-open an orphanage,” Bruce said, looking at Clint seriously before he broke into a smile. “Y-you were very insistent o-on it.”

He groans and covers his eyes with his hands, “aw Bruce why didn’t you stop me. Did I say anything else?”

"Y-you wanted our last n-name to be Fr-Freckles if we g-got married," Bruce said, smiling fondly at Clint. "B-but you f-fell asleep before you could s-say anything e-else weird."

Clint groans and looks at Bruce, “freckles really,” he sighs, “Freckles is a good last name what do ya say?”

Bruce shook his head, smiling. “It’s a b-beautiful name,” he said, snickering. “B-but I like B-Barton more.”

“Bruce Barton does have a nice ring to it,” he grins, “so does Clint Banner…dude when we get married we should just get each other’s last names. I mean it’s not like paperwork would be that big a deal and if we forget at least we’ll get the first two letters right,” he laughs.

Bruce chuckles, “Th-That’s true. We w-w-would nev-never for-forget our in-initials.”

“Ok then if we get married I’ll become Clint Banner and you will become Bruce Barton,” he grins up at him, “hey you’re not one for fancy weddings are you? Never planned on getting married and stuff and if I ever did it would be because I was too drunk and got hitched in Vegas.”

"I-I wouldn’t m-mind that," Bruce replied, feeling warmth in his chest. Clint didn’t shy away from the idea of actually /marrying/ Bruce. He seemed to /like/ the idea, actually.

Bruce leaned over, feeling bashful, and kissed Clint on the cheek. “I’d l-love to t-t-take your n-name.”

Clint smiles up at Bruce, “and I’d like to say your name in bed,” he chuckles, “I’m only teasing ya freckles it sounds nice but that’s way in the future I like to keep my sights on the now and plan later.”

"I-I still l-like the name," Bruce says, looking up at Clint with a small smile. "Br-Bruce Barton s-sounds good to me." He chuckled, before he patted Clint’s stomach. "Y-you’re r-right; that’s a l-long ways away."

Clint nods his head and lays on Bruce, “yeah long ways away,” he says yawning as he begins to fall asleep on Bruce the event finally tiring him out.

Bruce chuckles, petting Clint’s chest absently as he begins to drift off curled half on top of the archer, “I love you, Cl-Clint,” he murmurs, yawning.


	12. Flowers

The next few days Clint clings to Bruce and frowns when he has to leave and Hulk comes back for the week. He makes sure to kiss Bruce and make him blush till his whole body is red before he sees him off. Clint sighs standing there with the crutches as he looks up at the Hulk.

“Hey there Jade Jaws have a nice nap,” he asks trying to distract him so he doesn’t ask about the leg.

Hulk stretches himself up out of the hunch Bruce had been in, yawning and scratching his head for a moment as he looked around. And then he looked down at Clint, grinning.

“Hulk sleep like b—”

He cuts off, looking down at the archer on crutches, and his face turns down into a scowl, eyes narrowed. “Cupid hurt.”

Clint misdirects the questions, “aw you slept like a baby that means you’re well rested,” he smiles.

Hulk huffs out an annoyed breath, bending close to eye Clint over critically. “Cupid broke,” he says, poking Clint in the side with one big finger, before he looks at Clint to glare once more. “Cupid do something dumb?”

Clint stumbles when Hulk pushes him, “hey watch it. I’m not broke that much. I just have three more weeks in this cast and I’ll be good to go.” He doesn’t answer the last question and just looks away from Hulk pouting.

"Puny Banner let Cupid hurt himself," Hulk huffs, annoyed, and reaches forward, plucking Clint up by the scruff of his shirt like he’s a kitten and holds him carefully. "Puny Banner /and/ Cupid dumb."

Clint pouts and tries to hit Hulk but like a kitten he can’t reach him so he just pouts. “We weren’t stupid a stupid monster knocked me off a building to a car. It’s just a scratch Hulk don’t worry about it.” He sighs, “can you put me down so I can get my crutches?”

Hulk looks at Clint for a long moment, before he huffs another annoyed breath and tucks Clint into the crook of his arm. “Crutches dumb,” he says, turning to march off with Clint. “Hulk smash monster. Monster dead?”

Clint flails his arms at being man handled and pouts, “yeah monster is dead Hulk. He cock blocked Bruce and I and Natasha wouldn’t even let me take a shot at him. Tony killed him.”

Hulk nodded solemnly. “Hulk thank Tinman later. First Hulk put Cupid where he no get hurt.” Hulk was very resolute as he carried Clint, unaffected by his flailing. “Banner should have let Hulk out to help smash monster.”

Clint sighs accepting his fate, “Bruce didn’t come we thought the villain was a push over so he didn’t come.”

"Stupid." Hulk says, shaking his head like a disapproving parent. "Villain’s only easy with Hulk around," he said, sounding proud as he grinned down at Clint. "Cupid remember next time?"

“Yeah buddy I’ll remember once I get out of this cast,” he grins.

"Good," Hulk said, nodding, and then he ambled into his own room, still dragging Clint around, and carefully set him down. "Cupid stay. Hulk make sure baby bird no hurt himself more."

“Aw come on Hulk you know I need to move and stuff. I go nuts otherwise. You can’t keep me in your room the whole week,” he pouts.

Hulk points at Clint, glaring. “Cupid stay for now. Hulk get food.” He waved one meaty finger at Clint warningly, before he ambled off to get peanut butter and chips.

Clint groans and watches Hulk walk away as he lays back on the bed and glares at his cast, “I hate you cast.”

Hulk comes back in with his arms full of food and sets them on the bed next to Clint, before he plops down on the floor next to the bed. “Eat. Cupid too small. Small make weak.”

Clint pops up and pokes Hulk in the chest, “hey you listen here Jade Jaws I am not weak because I am so small. You’re just a huge guy now hand over those chips.”

Hulk bares his teeth in a grin, taking a handful of chips before he hands over the bag. “Cupid tough. But still weak. Hulk only strong one,” he boasts, shoving his handful of chips in his mouth. “Everyone weak.”

Clint rolls his eyes, “yeah whatever…hey Jade Jaws what do you think about me getting hitched with Bruce later on? It’s not going to be for a long time but I thought I’d throw it out there since you guys do share the same body.”

"Cupid want /marry/ Banner?" Hulk looked at Clint like he was crazy. And then he looked at his own hand, wiggling his fingers. "Ring no fit," he said, before he grinned, huffing a laugh. "Cupid marry Banner, Hulk no care."

“Ring will fit…just gotta make it out of your stretchy pant material…but that’s in the future,” he says blushing, “well maybe not if he finds someone else or we split,” he mumbles sadly.

Hulk looked up seriously at Clint’s words, frowning. “Cupid no be sad. Banner /love/ Cupid.” Hulk shook his head, huffing. “Banner only love two people ever; he no leave you.”

After a thoughtful moment, Hulk growled. “If Banner do, Hulk smash.”

Clint chuckles, “aw you’d smash yourself for me buddy,” he teases. Two people? He loved only two people. One had to be his mom but who was the other one? “Hey Hulk what two people does Bruce love?”

Hulk looked over to Clint, quiet for a moment—unusually quiet—before he scowled. “Betty,” he said, looking away. “Banner loved Betty.”

Clint frowns, “you loved her too didn’t ya,” he says sighing. Great competition against a saint it seems like. Maybe Betty wasn’t all that I could look her info up later when Hulk is asleep. Maybe I still have a chance.

Hulk look at Clint, frowning. “Hulk love Betty,” he says, nodding, before he reaches out with a toothy grin on his face, patting Clint’s head. “But Hulk love Cupid too; Cupid Hulk’s best friend.”

Clint snorts as he pushes Hulk’s hand away, “aw thanks buddy you’re my best friend too beside Nat.”

Hulk nods, huffing proudly as he shoves another handful of chips in his mouth. “Good,” he mumbles around the food, before he leans against the bed, scrunching up his face as he chuckles. “Hulk awesome.”

Clint lets out a loud laugh, “oh good one Hulk. You’re not awesome you’re very boastful and great.” Clint pops a few more chips in his mouth, “so Betty huh she have a last name?”

Hulk grins proudly, before he goes back to his chips, pulling out a handful anxiously and scowling.  
“Ross,” he all but growls, grimacing, before he goes soft and kind. “Betty Ross.”

Clint’s eyes widen, “wait a second Ross as in General Ross that douchebag?”

Hulk looked at Clint sideways, before he nodded, eyebrows knitted together. “Betty his daughter,” he says, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Hulk no like Ross.”

“Holy shit Bruce sure knows how to pick’em doesn’t he big guy,” Clint whistles and shakes his head. “I bet ya even before you came around he was dealing with that ass wipe. Shit do you know how many agents at Shield want to take him out? A lot but they can’t cause he’s a general and technically hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Ok Bruce had some issues Betty Ross daughter of General Ross? How much bad luck can one guy have. If he remembered right Betty was a scientist like Bruce maybe that’s why they fell in love. Maybe he likes smart people…but Bruce said he was smart? Oh man Hulk just opened a can of worm. I’ll ask him next time he’s out or never…yeah never sounds good it’s in the past he’s kind of with me I guess so I shouldn’t worry.

"Ross hate Banner," Hulk said, scowling. "Only Hulk can hate Banner." And then he shook his head, grumbling. "Ross why Hulk here. Ross dumb too."

Clint points his finger at him, “no way Jade Jaws you can’t hate Banner he’s like your brother man. But bash Ross all the way. You’re right he is a dumbass.”

Hulk grumbled, admonished, but nodded. “Ross chase Banner and Hulk after accident. Ross only stop when Hulk take control.” He had hated those times; he still remembered them. They’d been terrifying.

“Yeah well if he tries that shit now tick tick boom baby,” he grins, “he won’t know what hit him.”

Hulk grinned devilishly. “Cupid explode Ross for Hulk?” He asked, happy about the thought. “Cupid the best.”

He nods his head grinning, “damn straight I’m the best,” he says popping another chip in his mouth. “So what happened when Bruce was here and you were inside? Do you just sleep or what’s it feel like?”

Hulk shrugged his big shoulders. “Sleep,” Hulk said. “If Banner upset then sometimes wake up, hear things, but Hulk mostly sleep. Dream.”

Clint nods his head, “what ya dream about…wait you can only see when Bruce is upset so you didn’t see anything when we were make out or did you have to block that?”

Hulk shook his head, looking grossed out. “No, Hulk no see kissing. Banner no let him see that.” And wasn’t he grateful for that? “And…” He paused, huffing and trying to scowl. “Hulk dream about flowers.”

Clint, “aw is little Hulk jealous because he can’t see Bruce and I getting it on,” he smirks poking him. He laughs a little, “just teasing ya buddy and you see flowers? Cool are you in a meadow or something,” he asks planning to save the information for later. Maybe he could take Hulk to a meadow so he could do whatever he wants. It might make the guy feel more relaxed or happy. Hey he was Clint and he was always going to be looking out for his main buddy.

Hulk rolls his eyes at Clint, before he looks up at the ceiling, looking less Hulk-ish and more gentle faced as he thinks. “Hulk dream flowers and sun,” he says, nodding, eyes far off. “Pretty there. No loud. Just birds and wind.”

Clint nods his head listening to Hulk, “you know if you ask Stark to redesign your room with flowers, the sun, and a sound barrier he would do it right? Might make you feel better…do you like potted plants big guy?”

Hulk looked over to Clint, face lighting up in a grin. “Hulk like little plants inside,” he said, cupping his hands to mime where they’d go. “Take care tiny plants inside.” He nodded his head, grinning. “Cupid ask Tinman for Hulk?”

Clint grins, “sure I can ask him Jade Jaws. You can ask him too though and he’ll get it done faster since I’ll have to hop all the way to Tony,” he laughs.

Hulk chuckled. “Hulk ask later,” he said, nodding as he fished out another handful of chips. “Cupid come and make nest in Hulk’s room too? Cupid only one allowed in,” he said, nodding solemnly as he crammed food into his mouth. “Hulk have nice, quiet room.”

He looks over at Hulk as he reaches for the peanut butter jar, “only if I’m allowed to leave when I want,” he says as he dips his fingers in the jar and eats the peanut butter.

Hulk rolled his eyes. “No, Hulk keep Cupid hostage,” he snipes, before he grins. “Cupid leave when want. Hulk no need baby bird to /whine/.”

“I ain’t whining,” he pouts eating more peanut butter, “just like open spaces and being able to move. I’d go crazy if you locked me up.”

"Cupid shouldn’t hurt self, then," Hulk said, though he was only teasing now. "And Cupid no run around while leg broke; bad for leg." Banner knew that, therefore Hulk knew too, though he didn’t know the particulars. Just that Clint shouldn’t go running around.

Clint glares at him, “hey you’re not my doc. Can’t tell me what to do,” he pouts. “I didn’t hurt myself that bad only a month with the cast it could have been longer.”

Hulk poked his own head, grinning. “Doc in here,” he said, huffing a laugh. “He say Cupid hurt self and need stay off leg. Hulk agree.”

“Oh you guys passing messages back and forth,” he grins, “well pass this message to Bruce,” he motions for the Hulk to come closer to him and passes a dirty message to Bruce. “What ya think about that Jade Jaws.”

Hulk’s face turns down in an embarrassed scowl and he presses one huge hand over his eyes. “Cupid is terrible!” He says, shaking his head. “Make Banner embarrassed,” he said, shooting Clint a glare, before faking a gag. “Hulk no wanna know this stuff.”

“Yeah well if you don’t wanna know then don’t double tag me with Banner to get me to behave got it,” he smirks.

Hulk sticks his tongue out at Clint, before he flops over towards him, flicking him on the nose—carefully, of course. “Cupid a jerk,” he groans, making a face. “Hulk just want protect a /friend/,” he says, trying to guilt Clint.

“Yeah well next time don’t double team me. It’s not cool buddy. I’ll listen to the doc and you for now,” he smirks.

Hulk rolls his eyes, but nods. “Fine. Hulk and Banner leave Cupid alone.” He huffed, before he grinned deviously. “Banner say gonna get Cupid back, though.

“Oh yeah,” he grins, “how’s he gonna get me back. I already got you good freckles.”

Hulk was quiet for a second, before he adamantly shook his head. “No, Hulk no tell Cupid,” he said, wrinkling his nose. “Hulk no say that.” He scrunched up his face. “Banner and Cupid gross.”

Clint laughs, “we ain’t gross we’re just in love and do adult gross things,” he grins. “Don’t worry bout it buddy I won’t talk about it anymore. How about you tell me about those plants you want.”

Hulk goes from grossed out to grinning, and nods, waving his huge hands about. “Yes, Hulk tell Cupid!”

Clint listens as Hulk goes on and on about the plants he wants.


	13. Derick and Clyde?

A few months go by the arrangement of Bruce and Hulk being out once a week seems to be working and Clint seems to be getting closer and closer to freckles. It’s kind of why he’s nervous about asking him this favor he has to do because hell he hates wearing suits but if freckles is there it won’t be so bad. He knocks on Bruce’s door.

Bruce has been slowly but surely getting better over the time he’s had out, his stutter only coming out when he’s very nervous, or excited, and he’s been working on science again, though he’s taken to doing studying in his room sometimes to stay calm away from Tony’s environment. He’s, also, been falling deeper and deeper in love with his archer, and can’t help but feel overjoyed whenever he’s near.  
“Come in,” he calls to the door, peeking into a microscope as he nibbles on the edge of his sleeve.

Clint comes in and sighs, “hey babe I got a question for you,” he asks heading over to Bruce, “it’s kind of important but you can say no if you want and I’ll get someone else to do it…”

Bruce turned in his chair, smiling when he saw Clint, before he tugged his sleeve out of his mouth and frowned. “What is it,” he asked, slightly worried. Clint usually wasn’t this worried about Bruce’s approval.

“I have to go to Vegas for a spy mission and someone has to pretend to be my fiancée because the guy I’m supposed to take out is into stuff like that or some shit. So you wanna be my pretend fiancée for a weekend,” he asks looking at the ground rubbing the back of his neck.

Bruce cocks his head as he watches Clint, before he smiles. “Of course,” he replied, wondering why Clint was so worried to ask. He may not have /loved/ the idea of going out as a /spy/, he /did/ like the idea of faking being Clint’s fiancée.

“You’re sure you wanna do this,” he asks surprised, “it’s nothing like the spy movies on TV.”

Bruce paused for a moment, thinking about it. He was a pretty good liar, but he did badly under pressure, and he couldn’t get violent. He’d basically be useless, but then again, Hulk could protect Clint if he was there.  
That made up his mind, and Bruce was smiling again a moment later. “I’ll be with you; you’ll keep me from doing something stupid.”

Clint laughs, “yeah I think it will be the other way around. Alright then get ready. We leave in an hour.”

Bruce chuckled, nodding as he stood. “What should I wear, and do we have cover names?” Bruce asked as he set away his studies, going over to his dresser for clothes.

Clint grins, “yeah we have cover names you wanna be the Bonnie to my Clyde,” he chuckles. “No really that’s my cover name Clyde Thompson and you’ll be the future Mr. Thompson.”

Bruce nods, looking through his clothes before he plucks out a black turtle-neck—he had not, in fact, lost any love for his sweaters over the months—and smiled. “Alright, slide Clyde, I need to get dressed.”

“Aw I can’t even have a peek at the show,” he teases before getting up. He gives Bruce a kiss on the nose and leaves through the door.

Bruce chuckled, getting ready. He was ready not long after, hair combed and ready to go. “Vegas, right? Can’t wait to fawn over my new fiancee,” Bruce said as he came to find Clint, grinning.

Clint laughs, “hey you might not be fawning over me for long. I hate wearing suits. So you’ll have to help me stay calm and not fidget in it as much as yours,” he grins looking over Bruce. “Damn freckles you clean up good come on jet’s waiting on us,” he teases.

Bruce chuckled, nodding as he followed after Clint. “You look good dressed up,” he murmured, smirking. “I’m sure I can persuade you to keep in character.”

“Well my cover story is being an accountant and you are marrying me for my money,” he chuckles, “I’m going to look like such a nerd. That’s the only way they could fit my glasses in,” he groans walking with him to the jet, “Bruce I don’t wanna look like a nerd.”

Bruce smacked his arm, acting offended. “I’m sorry, are nerds not good enough for you?” He asked, adjusting his glasses, before he smiled. “Clint, stop whining, you’ll be fine—I mean, Clyde, stop whining and let me borrow your wallet.” He chuckled.

“It’s not that Bruce. You’re a nerd and good enough but I’m going to look weird. Come on guy with muscles and glasses and you don’t think that’s weird. That’s a weak Superman disguise Bruce…I mean…shit what is your cover name? I think it’s Derick… yeah it is,” he laughs.

“Here Derick honey you can have my wallet,” he says laughing, “Only has about two bucks and a stick of gum dear. I’m broke.”

"You’ll look fine, terrible Superman disguise and all. If you need to say something to /sound/ like an accountant, I can help." Bruce chuckled, before he switched to ‘Derick’ mode, gripping Clint’s arm. "But hun how am I supposed to go shopping without any /money/?" He whined, before he grinned, "this is gonna be fun."

He laughs, “why do you need to go shopping again dear you already have a closet full of clothes,” he chuckles as they get strapped in on the jet. “Oh yeah this is going to be fun. I don’ even know why they gave me an accountant cover instead of just an inside man or business dealer.”

"Because I need /more/," Bruce griped, before chuckling. “Some higher up wanted to see you in the glasses, I’m sure,” Bruce replied as he strapped himself in. “/Or/ Natasha had a hand in your mission, which I wouldn’t doubt.”

Clint nods his head, “I wouldn’t put it past her,” he laughs strapping in before the jet takes off. He reaches over and holds Bruce’s hand, “are you ok Derick,” he teases.

"Absolutely terrified, Clyde," Bruce replies, gripping Clint’s arm in mock fear, though he’s half-smirking. "You know how flying disagrees with me, dear."

He rolls his eyes, “yeah it is terrifying dear but no need to worry I’ll protect you,” he says patting Bruce’s arm. “Hey when we land I have to put on this mask of being Clyde so no more fun Clint or saying our real names.”

Bruce nodded, looking serious for a moment. “I know, no worries,” he replies. “I’ve done this before. Well, sort of, it was a long time ago, but I won’t mess this up, promise.” He smiled briefly, realizing a bit anxiously that he would definitely need to stay in character. He’d just have to imagine he was on the run again.

Clint nods his head, “good then you won’t mind if I explain my target and who she is then? You can handle that right,” he looked at him seriously not playing games anymore.

"Of course," Bruce replied, preparing himself as he sat back in his seat, looking to Clint expectantly. "Go ahead."

“Ok so this woman right here is a mob boss. Yeah she looks young but she’ deadly almost as bad as Black Widow on a bad day. Anyway she’s bringing these other mob and boss leaders together to sell some alien tech she stole and has scientists working on to figure it out. So if I take her out and kill her that will be a terrible thing one because she’s the mob leader and the next one in line if she falls it’s this guy right here whose been trying to off her for a while but there’s been no evidence. Bottom line is we have to get her out without killing her or there’s going to be a huge mob war in Vegas.”

Clint sighs, “it gets better though she is supposedly having this little get together as a way to marry into one of the family so the feud can stop. Intel got info on it saying she is going to act like a black widow and steal his money and turf. So Shield wants to take her and interrogate her unharmed and threaten her with something. What that is I don’t know, but if Shield knows your weakness you’re screwed.”

Bruce listened intently while Clint spoke, nodding his head as he absorbed the information. “And how do we plan on getting her?” He asked thoughtfully. “Are we posing as anyone important, or are we just civilians?”

He shrugs, “we’re just civilians at the moment so we can get close to her. I’m going to be trying to get a job with her since her business is booming,” he laughs, “it’s a pun she blows up buildings sometimes. Anyway that’s about it.”

"Alright, good; sounds like we’re all set, then," Bruce replied, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt. He wasn’t /nervous/, per se, not like he might have been a month ago, but he definitely wasn’t jumping up and down in his seat with excitement. He wanted to make sure Clint didn’t think he was useless outside of the Hulk; now he could prove it.

“Alright, Clyde, dear, this should be fun,” he said, smiling over at Clint.

Clint smirk, “now Derick dear you need to be on your best behavior while I talk to this woman.”

The jet soon lands a few minutes later and they are unload off the plane and walk towards the pick-up. Once there they sign a lease to temporary borrow a car for a week before they drive to a hotel to change into their suits for the party.

Bruce keeps himself calm as they go, trying to pick out exactly how he’ll play his new role, and by the time they reach the hotel he’s got it; the perfect image of a gold digger is in the forefront of his mind, and he can’t help enjoying the part.

Clint looks over at Derick and laughs, “Derick dear should I be worried?”

Bruce swallows a smirk, instead rolling his eyes and heaving a melodramatic sigh. “Oh, Clyde, you ask the silliest questions,” he whines, before he shifts to cling to one of Clint’s arms. “But you did bring me /here/, so I can’t complain too much.”

Clint smirks putting his glasses on, “I guess it’s my own fault dear,” he says as they head inside the hotel. Clint asks for his reservation as Clyde and gets his room key. “Now try and pretty yourself up dear,” he smiles as they enter the elevator.

"If I have to," Bruce replies, glancing around the elevator, pouting. "Will we be staying terribly long, Clydie-dear?" /Gag me,/ Bruce thought, but he couldn’t help enjoying himself. He was sure Clint was enjoying this.

“We might Derick,” he said as the elevator took them to their floor, “our suits should already be in the room go doll yourself up dear,” he smirks.

"Of course," he replied, smiling. "You know how I love to dress up for you," he smirked, winking, before the came to their door and he waved Clint forward to open it. "Come on then, let’s go, slow poke."

Clint rolls his eyes and unlocks the door, “your suit is on the bed dear. I’m changing into mine in the bathroom,” he says grabbing his suit and going to the bathroom to change.

Bruce went over to retrieve his suit, unused to getting so fancily dressed up, so going slowly as he put everything on.

Clint sighs as he gets in the bathroom and gets dressed in his suit. He hates dressing up because the suits are so uncomfortable and just gross. “How’d Nat do it oh yeah,” he says looking at himself in the mirror and getting his hair to stay down and combed back. After he gets the basics done he puts on the pink shirt and then pants.

He struggles with the bow tie before he remembers how to get it on and finally puts his coat jacket on. He sets the glasses on his nose and grimaces in the mirror, “definitely a geek eck,” he says as he exits the bathroom getting his cufflinks on.

“Oh Derick are you rea-,” Clint’s mouth drops as he looks at Bruce and all he can think of is hot damn.

Bruce turns, adjusting the tie he’s wearing, and smooths his hands over the suit jacket. “You like it?” He asks, before he gets a good look at Clint and he bites his lip, smiling. “You look good,” he says, rubbing his hands together and keeping himself from ducking his head.

Clint curses, “well shit Derick it’s like the ugly duckling story except you weren’t ever ugly and just bam. You clean up good honey,” he smiles giving Bruce a kiss.

Bruce can’t help the blush on his face, and he kisses Clint back, smiling. “Well, thank you, Clyde,” he replies once he pulls away, adjusting his tie once more. “You’re not too shabby yourself.”

Clint grins, “even without my money dear.”

Bruce keeps himself from smiling, wrinkling his nose. “Now, I wouldn’t go too far,” he says, before he chuckles and kisses Clint again. “I’m kidding, let’s get going before we’re late for this drab get together.”

Clint fakes being shocked before he adjusts his glasses and puts his arm around Bruce and leads him to the function.

Bruce follows along, planning out just how terribly out of character he was going to be. He hoped he could be convincing enough to keep people from getting suspicious.

Clint stays by him and loop his arm in Bruce as they enter the gathering, “oh look dear there is the woman I am trying to get the job from,” he says pointing his head towards the mob boss.

Bruce looks to where Clint nods, putting on a slightly interested look. “Hmm, hopefully she’ll be able to line your pockets,” Bruce quipped, patting Clint’s arm where it looped with his. “Shall we talk to her, Clydie-dear?”

Clint chuckles as he sighs, “yes my dear if you want to keep spending my money then I must talk to her come,” he says pulling him along to meet the boss.

Bruce smiles easily, patting Clint’s hand. “That’s a good man, Clyde,” he said, chuckling as they headed towards the mob boss, keeping himself composed easily enough for now.

Clint smiles, “now we must wait to be introduced to her my dear so keep that pretty little mouth of yours closed until we see her,” he smiles giving Bruce a supportive squeeze on his arm.

Bruce gave Clint a look, close to sticking out his tongue, before he sighed dramatically and pouted. “Of course, dear,” he replied, feeling reassured by Clint’s arm looped with his. It made him feel steady. He could do this.

Clint smiles and waits to be introduced to the boss. Finally it is there turn, “hello there Ms. Russo how are you this evening. My Name is Clyde Thompson and this is Derick my soon to be Mr. Thompson.”

Bruce gives a bright smile, clapping a hand over Clint’s as he nods. “A pleasure to meet you, miss.”

“Ah yes Mr. Thompson,” she grins, “we shall have business to discuss later tonight but first enjoy the party,” she smiles as she leaves to great a new guest.

"She seems nice," Bruce said pleasantly as she moved away, glancing up at Clint. "Right, Clyde?"

“Oh yes very nice and it appears I can meet her later after the party,” he smiles leading Bruce over to the punch bowl, “let’s  get you something to drink my dear,” he says as he fills one of the cups with punch halfway. He smiles and leans over giving Bruce a kiss on the cheek, “don’t drink just hold,” he smiles as he hands him a cup.

Bruce smiled as he took the drink, and pretended to chuckle behind his hand after Clint kissed his cheek, swatting his hand. “So affectionate,” he murmured, though he didn’t take a sip of the drink.

“Only for you my dear,” he smiles pushing his glasses up and turning the device on. He is able to see the schematics and scan people for their weapons.

Bruce glances around curiously as they move about the room, wondering just how long they’d have to wander around.

“Well Derick my dear seems everyone here is loaded,” he chuckles hoping Bruce gets the double meaning.

"Good to know," Bruce replied, chuckling, though the phrase made him cringe inside. Guns. He always hated those. "Maybe you’ll make some new friends, Clyde, dear."

“Possibly. I hope to make friends with Ms. Russo. Care for a dance dear,” he smiles as the music changes to a slow song.

Bruce glances up at Clint, before he smiles fondly. “Of course, darling; I do love to dance,” he said, though he knew he was terrible at dancing. Oh well.

“Oh don’t worry too much dear just follow my lead and play the girl you are,” he smirks teasing Bruce as he leads him to the dance floor and begins to sway with Bruce to the music.

Bruce followed his lead, though he pouted up at Clint. “Oh, you’re asking for trouble, darling,” he purred, glancing around before he lifted a brow at Clint. “Just you wait,” he chuckled, leaning his head against Clint’s shoulder.

Clint smiles and likes the feel of Bruce laying on his chest. He whispers in his ear, “I’ll prove it to you tonight if you want to go that far freckles.”

Bruce can’t help a small shiver, a blush following his smile. He doesn’t reply, just nods against Clint’s shoulder, chuckling as they continue their swaying dance.

Clint grins and looks at Bruce, “is that a yes dear,” he teases.

Bruce mumbled a quiet ‘it’s a maybe’, before he buried his face further, smiling. Even on a mission Clint was the same, wonderfully lovely man he’d come to love, and it always left him flustered.

Clint smiles widely, “oh Derick I wish I could shout and hoot right now,” he chuckles.

"Clyde, dear, you are so wonderfully terrible," Bruce replied, discreetly pressing a kiss to the side of Clint’s throat. "So excited, but you mustn’t forget you have actual /work/ tonight," he teased.

Clint sighs, “I suppose I must make connections first before we can go anywhere extravagant Derick dear,” he sighs, “Rain check?”

Bruce nodded, lifting his head to smile fondly up at Clint. “Yes, of course; I don’t mind waiting,” he replied, chuckling. “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

Clint chuckles, “as you wish,” he grins as they continue to dance for the night.

Soon the party begins to dwindle down when Clint is grabbed by two men, “Hello sirs,” he stutters acting, “what seems to be the problem?”

Bruce is startled by the action, and has to force down his immediate reaction, keeping the green from coming into his eyes. “What’s the meaning of this?” He asks shrilly, standing up taller—though he’s still much too short to be imposing—and stomping his foot. God he hopes they haven’t been figured out. He knows that’s probably what happened but the Hulk can’t come out /here/.

“Ms. Russo would like to see you both now. Bring your lover,” one man says leading them to the back of the room.


	14. Hold my Flower

Once at the back of the room Ms. Russo is sitting at her desk legs propped up and grinning, “So Mr. Thompson let’s get down to business.”

Bruce keeps on his fuming act as he follows behind Clint, absolutely uneasy about how this is going on. But he keeps himself composed, none the less, and prissily crosses his arms over his chest as the mob boss addresses Clint.

“W-well Ms. Russo, I was hoping you could tell me about your current accounts so that I may better find the best path in your interest.”

Bruce kept himself silent, watching the exchange with an air of irritation, though he kept thinking how he hoped the cowed act Clint was putting on was just that—an act.

She sighs, “I need a new bookkeeper and your resume was quite impressive. Tell me Mr. Thompson what do you hope to gain from me?”

“I want enough money to provide for myself and my fiancée for the next years and protection since it seems you have some problems,” he pushes his glasses up trying to be brave, “I did a little research on you too Ms. Russo.”

He scans the guys in the room and curses in his head. They all have loaded guns . It’s not a surprise but he was hoping he-wait a second that’s not a goon for her that’s…

Bruce shifted uneasily in his chair, though he kept his expression bland, and he tried to keep himself from following Clint’s gaze, though he flickered his eyes around the room, trying to count just how many lackeys this lady had.

Clint begins to fidget and looks at the unknown person, “Ms. Russo isn’t that one of your client’s to the left? He looks familiar,” he says playing with his glasses as he puts his hand on his pocket. If he presses it now it will release a smoke gas enough to get away.

Bruce went from acting casual to looking anxiously to where Clint was looking, wondering what had sent the man on edge so badly as to point someone out like that; the tension in the room was much too high for Bruce’s liking.

Ms. Russo looks at the man and smirks, “tacos.” Her bodyguards take out the man Clint pointed at. Clint acts scared at the gun fire and holds onto Bruce, “stay calm it’s a test.”

“Well then you have read up on me haven’t you Mr. Thompson. Don’t bother remembering my code for shoot the guy it changes every day.”

Bruce grips onto Clint’s arm, sucking in a shocked breath, and he lets it out in a startled squeak once it’s all said and done. He doesn’t much have to fake his trembling, though he keeps his eyes down to hide their green glint.

Clint pushes his glasses up and looks at Russo, “I understand Ms. Russo…will I still get the job?”

She leans back in her chair and thinks, “hmm yes…you’ll be on probation for a month. Now then let’s get down to the real business…” she trails off and goes into her dealings she has had and talks with Clint about the business of her money and purchases.

Clint tries to stay calm as he lists off ideas for Ms. Russo to follow hoping he is not messing up.

“Very well it sounds good let us get some wine,” she says motioning for her bodyguards to leave the room.

Bruce stays silent, reeling himself back from his immediate reaction and taking slow, deep breaths as Clint and the Ms. Russo talk. He doesn’t trust himself to try and keep up the act, so he just plays the part of a frightened civilian. Which, well, he kind of is. When she sends her guards away, though, he glances up, very briefly, to look at Clint, loosening his hold on him.

“Ah the worse is over Derick dear, please calm your nerves,” Clint says as he grips Bruce’s arm to tell him to act his part. He leans down and gives him a kiss behind the ear and whispers, “almost over.”

Bruce straightens after the kiss, nodding as he swallows, fanning himself. “Just a bit of a shock, is all, dear,” he says, voice pitching high. “I’ll be fine, as long as you say it’s alright, Clydie-dear.”

Russo laughs, “man your fiancée sure is something. Tell me Derick how did you two meet?”

Bruce doesn’t hesitate; he’d thought this one through. “Well, he and I met at a dinner party his previous boss was throwing; it was /so/ boring, and Clydie here was the only person in the room who didn’t reek of mothballs, so I struck up a conversation.” He gave a winning smile, looking over to Clint adoringly, “he was a bit stiff, but he was certainly pretty.”

Clint blushes at Bruce’s comment and pushes his glasses up, “right I think you were the only one even close to my age there,” he chuckles.

“Sounds charming,” she drawls.

Bruce waves a hand, smiling pleasantly. “Oh, it was a real sweet little get together,” he cooed, patting Clint’s hand. “And, between you and me,” he says, nodding at Ms. Russo conspiratorially, “Clyde absolutely /spoils/ me, I’ve never had so many nice things.”

Clint chuckles, “yes I do spoil you I suppose but you’re worth it,” he smiles looking over at Bruce.

Bruce titters a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. “Ah, Clydie dear, you are too sweet.” He looks over to Ms. Russo, “he’ll be an absolutely perfect addition to your employment, I swear; he’s a joy.”

“I hope so otherwise you might have to find a new Clyde,” she grins before sighing, “but I have no doubt that he will be in the business for a long, long time.”

Clint twists his hands before holding onto Bruce’s hand to pass him a pill, “I can only hope. Where is that wine? I’m feeling a little parched.”

Bruce mentally cringed at what Ms. Russo said, but he swallowed it and kept up his winning smile. He didn’t dare check what Clint had given him, but he knew exactly what it was for. “Yes; wine always eases the nerves!”

It was only a moment later that a guard came in with glasses of wine on a tray, bringing them forward, and Bruce rose from his seat, beaming. “Here, let me help you with that, dear,” he said, taking one of the glasses and letting the little pill drop inside with no one the wiser as he turned to Ms. Russo. “For our gracious host, of course.”

“Yes hear hear,” says Clint as there glasses clink and he takes a sip of the wine, “this is really good Ms. Russo.”

“Hmm yes it is,” she says sitting down, “hmm I think it’s a little too…” her head plops down on the table wine glass spilling over the desk. Clint stands up and begins to clean the desk up to not cause suspicion.

Bruce goes from casual to panic in 0.0003 seconds. “Oh god, is sh-she dead?” He asks, his anxiety from the night spilling into his words. “Sh-she’s not supposed to d-d-die, is she?”

Clint smirks at him, “no Bruce she’s not dead.” He gets an idea and pushes her face up and squishes it together and moves her like a puppet, “Hey Bruce guess who I am,” he grins as he puts on a Captain America voice, “Freedom all the freedom. I eat bacon and shit eagles for breakfast. Would you like to join me in my song of freedom justice and the truth?”

Bruce just stared at Clint with wide eyes, glancing between him and the limp figure, before he burst into giggles, covering his mouth and closing his eyes. “Oh god, no,” he said around his hand, trying to keep quiet. “You’re a lunatic.”

“Hey if I’m a lunatic you are one too cause you love me,” he teases Bruce, “you’re crazy for me,” he laughs as he finishes getting the desk kind of organized.  “Bruce help me get her up.”

Bruce nods, coming over to help Clint heft the woman up. “I can’t believe I’m doing this with you,” he says, laughing with disbelief. “I really am a lunatic, Clint, it’s official you’ve corrupted me.”

“Oh don’t go there freckles. Who made me start watching the discovery channel or history channel. You corrupted me you jerk,” he teases as he lifts the body with Bruce.

"That was for your own good, /Cupid/," Bruce retorted, grinning as they tugged her along. "While the Hulk and you eat junk food and watch cartoons, /I/ have to make sure you don’t melt your brain."

“I won’t melt my brain and if I wanted to it’s my brain to melt,” he says pouting as the door jingles. “That ain’t good freckles slap my right pocket.”

Bruce glanced towards the door, and then immediately did as Clint asked, slapping his pocket hard and hoping there was a good reason for the pocket smack that would keep them from getting their asses kicked. Well, Clint would get his ass kicked—Bruce would just hulk-out, and that wasn’t good either.

A cloud of gas is released causing the people at the door to cough and not be able to see. Clint pulls the body with Bruce and talks into his cufflink giving Shield a code for that he’s in trouble.

Bruce follows after Clint, trying not to cough or stumble as they drag the body along, hoping SHIELD shows up quickly so they don’t end up in bigger trouble than this.

A man aims a gun at him and Clint shoves the body at him before attacking the man with the gun trying to get him to release the gun.

Bruce grunts under the woman’s weight, before he squeaks in fear when Clint and the man start grappling, feeling the Hulk stir somewhere in his head as he watches the action. He keeps him down, but just barely.

Clint side steps the man and grabs his wrist before breaking it so the man releases the gun. Clint takes him out as other Shield agents begin to infiltrate the place.

Bruce watched Clint with wide eyes, unaware of the SHIELD agents coming to their aid.  
Holy hell, was all he could think. Clint’s a badass.

Once the man is taken out Clint goes back to Bruce and helps him move the body again as they try to leave, “you ok freckles?”

Bruce was still looking at Clint, wide eyed, as they hoisted the woman onward. “You’re a badass,” he declared, awed. “And you’re really hot when you beat people up.”

Clint smirks about to say something when he pushes the woman on Bruce again to take out another guy.

Bruce is wondering what would happen if he just drops the woman, but keeps his hold as Clint kicks ass again, and this time he’s smiling.  God, his boyfriend was a real badass. The best kind.

Once the man is handle he struts over to Bruce, “now what were you saying about me babe,” he teases.

"You’re an idiot," Bruce replied instantly, before he chuckled, grinning. "And also, you’re very h-hot. So, you know, good job, Clint," he looked the archer up and down, chuckling.

Clint mocks being hurt before grinning. He gives him a quick kiss on the lips, “more later after we get the job done babe,” he smiles as Shield helps push back the bodyguards. The fighting doesn’t take too long to finish after that and soon Clint and Bruce are just dragging Ms. Russo to an agent.

“Agent Ms. Russo was retrieved,” he pulls something from his collar, “recorded conversation should give you more details on her operations if she won’t talk.”

Bruce is very glad to be free of the woman’s weight once one of the SHIELD agents takes her off their hands.  
“Good job, Barton,” the Agent says as he waves over a holder for her. “Fury says he wants a mission report by the end of this week, but you’re done for now.”

Clint nods his head, “I’ll have it by the end of the week, later agent,” he waves as he grabs Bruce by the arm and begins dragging him away. “So we’re in Vegas, might as well make the best of it don’t you agree dear,” he says using Clyde’s voice.

Bruce laughs, shaking his head, before he smiles sweetly and clutches Clint’s arm. “Oh, city life is so /tedious/,” he groans, Derick once more. “But for you, sweetie, I’d do anything.” He goes on his toes as they walk, kissing Clint’s cheek.

Clint grins and puts his hand around his waist and pulls him in tighter, “oh you’d do anything Bruce,” he grins, “ok I need a good drink after that fiasco. I couldn’t even drink that wine. You pick the place babe,” he says as they walk down the strip, “pick any place that catches your eye.”

Bruce wasn’t very well acquainted with bars or the picking of one, so he picked the /nicest/ looking one, one that would keep his head level while he got a few—maybe more—drinks. Something called the ‘Mandarin Oriental’ bar looked pretty quiet. He pointed there. “How about there?”

“Looks good.  Let’s get something to eat and drink there and head back to the hotel later,” he grins as he enters the bar and gets sat down at a booth.  “Need a drink first what are you getting for a drink babe?”

Bruce was thoughtful for a moment—he didn’t really drink—before he shrugged. “I’ll have what you’re having, as long as there’s no whiskey.”

He didn’t mind drinks, but whiskey was definitely a no go. The smell brought up too many…memories.

“I’m just having beer for the night,” he grins, “not a whiskey guy. Hey what ya going to order,” he asks looking at the menu.

Bruce looks through it for a moment, before he settles on literally the most normal looking thing on the menu. “They have fancy fries,” he says, looking at Clint and chuckling. “I don’t know what anything else on this menu is.”

“Seriously? I thought you ran everywhere Bruce,” he asks as he orders chicken wings and onion rings for them and Bruce’s fries.

"It was mostly South America and India," Bruce replied, shaking his head. "Parts of Russia, too, and I traveled the Middle East for a while—parts of Africa too…" he listed off thoughtfully, counting on his fingers. "But I never went into China or Korea," he said, shrugging with a small, sheepish smile.

“Africa? When did you go to Africa? Is that when you were fleeing to the Middle East? No offense but that was a bad move going to an area like that. It was easy to spot you.”

Bruce shook his head, laughing easily. “It’s not like I wandered around like, well, /me/,” he said, smirking. “I actually dressed like a woman in the middle-east most of the time, and I was a doctor while in Africa, so people helped hid me. No one knew I was in Africa, actually; I only left because I needed to meet a scientist in Dubai.”

Their appetizers arrive at the table, “why’d you need to meet a doctor in Dubai,” he asks grabbing a handful of onion rings and stuffing his mouth.

"That was when I was trying to find a…cure," Bruce replied, carefully, as he picked up an onion ring and nibbled at it. "I was a bit too trusting; turned out to be working for Ross, so that’s how I ended up in Russia for the first time."

He shrugs, taking some of Bruce’s fries, “heard about that one. How did you escape though? Russian prisons are notorious for not being escapable. You should ask Nat sometime…maybe when she’s in a good mood.”

Bruce popped the whole onion ring into his mouth, talking while he chews. “Wasn’t hard,” he said, shrugging. “Made a few friends—got some sanitizing soap they used in the guards bathroom—built a bomb.” He grabbed another onion ring, “went boom, got out, and hid in Moscow underneath the Capitol building for a while. Wasn’t too hard.”

“Oh yeah building a bomb not hard at all,” he shakes his head, “I thought you were a scientist and stuff. When did you learn to make a bomb? You could have blown yourself up if that was your first bomb you made,” he says worried.

Bruce nearly choked on his onion ring. “My /first/ bomb?” He laughed, genuinely amused, before he shook his head, smile falling just a bit. “No, I’ve…my first bomb I built when I was fifteen. Or was it sixteen? I never remember.” He shrugged, reaching to grab another onion ring, just to busy his hands. “I thought you read my file? I would’ve thought they’d have had my…incident in there,” he looked down, fidgeting in his seat.

Clint looks at Bruce worried, “yeah I tend to stay away from anything before you were working for Ross. People gotta have some privacy of their past. I only look at stuff like that if I’m told I need to or not. Pretty good at noticing when a villain is doing the whole evil routine for a power trip or for daddy issues.”

He looks a little worried at Bruce and hates when he fidgets like that so he grabs Bruce’s hands, “so fifteen and you made a bomb? What reason would a fifteen year old need a bomb,” he asked rubbing his thumb over Bruce’s knuckles.

Bruce kept his head down for a moment, biting his lip. He hadn’t thought he was ever going to tell this story. “I was…” He paused, trying again. “I got beat up a lot in school,” he said, frowning. “I…I had a lot of problems, people didn’t like me much, and when…When I got sick of it all I…built a bomb to, um…” He cleared his throat, anxiously glancing up at Clint. “I tried to blow up my school,” he finished in a rush.

Clint keeps rubbing Bruce’s hand to keep him calm as he listens to the story but when those Bambi eyes look up at him he frowns. Bruce had tried to blow up his school. He had tried to blow up his school.

“Bruce,” he says getting a lump in his throat, “Bruce I’m glad it didn’t work. I’m gonna guess you wanted to go up in smoke with the school and I’m just glad you’re alive right now.”

"No, actually," Bruce said with a desperate little laugh, swallowing hard. "I, um, I was scared of dying in a f-fire, s-s-so I—" He cuts himself off, lips thinning, before he takes a deep breath and turns his hands over in Clint’s grip, exposing his wrists, where small, pale scars criss-cross. "It didn’t work, though. Nothing I d-do ever works."

Clint looks at the scars and frowns before he kisses Bruce’s wrist, “I’m glad it didn’t work and you’re stuff does work stop down playing yourself all the time.”

Bruce huffs, looking away. “Most of my stuff blows up in my face,” he says, shrugging, before he smiles meekly. “But I’m…I’m glad it didn’t work. I’d ha-have never met you.”

Clint grins, “damn straight. Look at your sexy man now back at me your man then me sadly you’re stuck with me and not the guy behind me old spice,” he says doing the whistle trying to cheer Bruce up. Their drinks finally come, “hey freckles let’s  do a toast to being kick ass  boyfriends.”

Bruce can’t help grinning at Clint and rolling his eyes. “You’re such a nerd, Clint,” he says, reaching out for his drink and nodding. “But I can toast to my awesome boyfriend; he’s definitely worth it,” Bruce lifted his beer, the sad feeling in his chest going away for now.

Clint grins, “to us then,” he says clinking on Bruce’s glass before chugging his beer. Tonight was going to be great. They’re in Vegas going to have a good time, drinking nothing can go wrong.


	15. The Certificate

Clint groans as the sunlight hits him in the face. He yawns and scratches his stomach and winces a little. He looks down and realizes he’s in bed with nothing on and are those hickies? Oh shit please tell me Bruce is on the other side of the bed.

He lifts the blanket a bit to be sure and yep naked as a jaybird. He groans and puts his arm over his eyes and frowns. The stupid sun won’t go away and why won’t the shinny on my hand go away…oh no. Clint sits up quickly and looks at his hand where a wedding band is and panics. He looks over at the person in the bed scared he married some idiot in Vegas ad let’s out a small sigh of relief. It’s only Bruce…wait Bruce? I married Bruce shit I told him it was going to be awesome his first time with me and great Clint way to screw up big time, he says in his head.

He looks at Bruce still sleeping and sees an identical wedding band on his hand and curses internally. I married Bruce in Vegas how cliché is this. He tries to move out of the bed slowly so he doesn’t wake Bruce up. All he needs to do is get some clothes on and then…and then what. God how did he screw up so bad with Bruce?

Bruce is going to hate him…wait he can get a divorce yeah they do divorces in Vegas all the time…

Bruce hadn’t had a hangover since he was in college, and it treated him about as well as it did then; it left him achy and tired and feeling gross, and when he felt sun on his face he turned over in bed, burying his face into the pillow and groaning.

He tried to remember where he was as he breathed in the scent of laundry detergent. A hotel? Only hotel’s had that smell to their pillows. He shifted, groaning again, but paused as he stretched, wondering where his clothes had gone. It wasn’t the first time he’d woken up somewhere strange with no clothes, but usually he was on a road, or maybe in a forest. Not on a nice, fluffy bed.

He eventually managed to roll over, pulling a wrinkled blanket up his waist, and yawned wide, groaning as his head pounded and he opened watery eyes, blinking to clear them.

“Clint,” he asked, scratching his head. Clint had been with him, he was sure, but he was rubbing his eyes and generally didn’t have the motivation to look around. Oh god his head hurt.

Clint freezes pulling his jeans up, “um hey Bruce that was some night,” he laughs nervously rubbing the back of his head.

Bruce looks towards the sound of Clint’s voice, squinting, before he gropes around for his glasses. “I don’t remember a thing,” he replies, yawning again. “Did I hulk-out? Cause usually when I wake up naked and confused I hulked out,” he mumbles, before he grabs his glasses out from some fold in the blankets, rubbing off a smudge and putting them on, looking towards Clint pulling on his pants.  
“What’re you doing?”

“Uh…promise you won’t get mad freckles, but I think we might have done it last night or cuddled naked somewhere on that spectrum,” he laughs a little playing with the ring on his finger nervously.

"I feel like I should remember that," Bruce said, frowning slightly and rubbing his neck, looking down to see a hickie on one bare shoulder. He didn’t remember at all.

He glanced back over to Clint, zeroing in on where his hand played with something. “What’s that,” he asked, squinting.

He puts his hand behind his back, “uh nothing at all just a nervous habit. Hey you want breakfast or room service,” he asked Bruce trying to distract him.

Bruce groans at the mention of food. “I want a Tylenol and a tooth brush,” he grumbles, flopping back on the bed. “And maybe my clothes.” He scrubs a hand over his eyes, pushing up his glasses. “And to remember what happened last—”

He pauses, feeling something scratch his face, and he sits bolt up right, pulling his hand away and pushing his glasses back down to stare at it.  
“…Oh.”

Clint sighs internally thinking he’s dodged the bullet, “Tylenol coming right up freckles,” he says heading to the bathroom to find some Tylenol. He comes back and sees Brue staring at his hand, “uh I can explain.”

"Oh," is all Bruce says, again, just staring at the band on his hand like it’s the strangest thing he’s ever seen. And then his eyes widen further and start to water, his lips trembling. "/Oh/."

Clint feels like a heel he sits next to Bruce and frowns, “I’m sorry Bruce. I was going to get a divorce so you’re not stuck with me for life. We’ll only be married for a few more hours. Can I make it up to you,” he asks hugging him, “I’m sorry,” he says again feeling like he had messed everything up between them.

Bruce makes a surprised sound, pulling away from Clint and clutching his ring hand to his chest. “A d-divorce?!” He stares at Clint, eyes still wide and watery. “N-no, no, I don’t want that,” he squeaks, wiping at his eyes and looking down at the ring again. “Unless you don’t want…t-to be married, I underst-stand, but I, I’m just so—” He sniffles wiping at his eyes and looks up at Clint, tears clinging to his lashes as his lips quiver. “I’m so /happy/.”

Clint looks surprised, “you’re happy? But I fucked up Bruce. I was supposed to take you on more dates and give you a good time and our wedding was going to be awesome I was going to make Stark pay and we would have been in suits and your zen stuff and it would have been awesome. Instead I fucked it up and gave you a shitty Vegas wedding that we can’t remember and…”

Bruce wasn’t really listening; he felt mushy and sugar coated and absolutely blissful, and he moved like a flash, grasping Clint in his arms and kissing his face, once, twice, three times over.

“We can still do that,” he said, laughing as he kissed Clint again. “We can have a nice wedding with the others and pictures and cake and memories. But I don’t /need/ that right now, I don’t /mind/, Clint,” he was babbling, kissing Clint again, on his cheeks, his forehead, the tip of his nose. “I’m yours, I’m yours, and this makes it /official/.”

Clint is surprised by the kiss attacks and looks shocked, “you don’t mind being stuck with me? I mean this is what you’ve got to live with. I mean look wise I’m awesome but I’m pretty dumb otherwise Bruce. You sure you want this,” he asks feeling self-conscious and it’s not a good feeling. He wants Bruce to choose and be sure because yeah they love each other but he didn’t want to corner Bruce into this marriage thing. He would have asked…eventually maybe in a year or three?

Bruce plops himself practically in Clint’s lap, pulling back from his joyous kisses to look Clint seriously in the eye, reaching up to gently cup his face. “Clint, you really /are/ a dummy,” he says, huffing and rolling his eyes. “If I didn’t want you, if I didn’t want you from now until the end of time, I wouldn’t be with you. I wouldn’t lie and say I’d love you forever if I didn’t want to be yours completely.” He reached up to kiss Clint on the lips, slow and sweet. “I love you, and we could’ve been married a week after we met, we could have gotten married ten years from now; I don’t care. I’m just glad it’s /you/; I’m just glad I’m /yours/.”

Clint’s eyes widen as he smirks before pushing Bruce on the bed and kissing him. He pulls up hovering over Bruce, “so if a super sexy and smart scientist guy walked in here right now you’re saying you wouldn’t give me up for that right?”

Bruce giggled, leaning up to kiss Clint playfully. “I’m saying I wouldn’t even look at him,” he replied, playing with the ring on his finger. “Besides, Tony’s back at the Tower and I’m not interested in him in the slightest, am I?” He smiled coyly, “no one’s as handsome as my boy—my /husband/,” he murmured, biting his lip.

He smiles and gives Bruce another kiss, “you’re amazing Bruce. Hey let’s find the marriage certificate it has to be around here somewhere. I wanna send a picture to Nat and Tony,” he grins as he gives Bruce another kiss before looking for the certificate around the room.

Bruce laughed, hopping off the bed and adjusting his glasses to he could look around. “Alright, where would drunk you and me put a very important document,” he asked, chuckling to himself as he helped Clint search.

Clint lifts the mattress and grins, “under a mattress…uh I’m use to signing stupid stuff while drunk and putting it under a mattress,” he laughs. He looks at the paper and laughs even more, “Bruce look at our last names,” he says laughing pointing to their new last name which if Freckles.

Bruce stares with wide eyes, adjusting his glasses, before he busts out laughing, holding his side. “Oh my god, I can’t believe—Clint that’s an official document, what—” he just shakes his head, laughing harder.

“I mean we can change it if you want but I think it’s hysterical Mr. Freckles,” he teases.

"Do you really want to be known as Agent Freckles," Bruce teases, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "I don’t know how seriously a villain will take you."

“Yes because they’ll be expecting this geek or guy with Freckles and bam arrow to the eye socket,” he grins, “they’ll never see me coming.” He laughs evilly for a few seconds before calming down.

“Bruce we can change the last name later but what would you like to do today Mr. Freckles,” he grins.

"Well, I’d like clothes, maybe a shower, and then we can go out and do something, Mr. Freckles," Bruce replied, chuckling and smiling fondly at Clint.

“Sure thing Mr. Freckles now go get your cute ass in the shower while I look for something to do,” he says pulling out some flyers from the drawer.

Bruce rolled his eyes and headed off to the bathroom. “No more drinking; crazy stuff happens,” he called over his shoulder before closing the door and starting the shower up.

Clint laughs at that as he looks through the flyers when something red and yellow catches his eyes. It’s a circus flyer and they are doing a show tonight. Oh yes he is taking his freckles to see that show tonight. What time is it anyway? He looks at the clock and notices it is only 10 am so he has to find something else to do until 6pm.

Bruce takes a nice, hot shower to try and ease his still achy body, and he comes out dressed in a floppy sweater once more, his padding out barefoot and looking for his socks. “Find anything,” he asks, looking over to Clint with a small, content smile still glued to his face.

Clint grins, “aw Bruce no take the sweater off I like seeing your chest,” he grins as he holds up two flyers, “I got a surprise for you tonight we have to eat dinner around four so water park or this rodeo park?”

Bruce looks between the two fliers, chuckling. “Rodeo or water park,” he asks, squinting closer, before he rolls his eyes. “Water park, then; better for my nerves,” he says, smiling. “And a /surprise/ you say? I’m interested.”

Clint wags his finger, “oh no Bruce I’m not telling ok go get in your swim trunks then we are going to the water park,” he woots heading to the bathroom to get his swim trunks on.

Bruce trots over to his bag to grab out his pair of trunks, some purple and green shorts that Tony had forced on him when he said he didn’t have swim trunks, and changing into them and rubbing anxiously at his bare chest as he waits for Clint.

Clint comes out of the bathroom black trunks on and looks at Bruce and gasps dramatically, “oh my gosh is this my husband,” he teases, “damn you look fine. Can I show you off to all the other jealous boys honey,” he says giving him a kiss on the cheek playfully.

“Hey do you need sunscreen?”

Bruce blushes at Clint’s compliments, before he rolls his eyes, looking at his pale skin. “It’d probably be best if I used sunscreen,” he replied, smiling sheepishly. “I don’t want to burn.”

Clint smiles and wraps his arms from behind him, “then we’ll get you some sun screen freckles,” he said kissing Bruce’s neck. “Damn I got you good didn’t I,” he smiles at the hickey marks on Bruce and himself. “Bruce look at this one. This is awesome,” he smiles at him.

Bruce’s cheek turn an even brighter red as Clint kisses his neck, and he wonders just what happened last night to /leave/ all those marks, before he bites his lip, smiling. “I-it makes sure no one tries to take you, at least,” he says, reaching up to touch one mark on Clint’s neck, chuckling.

Clint nods his head, getting flip flops on and shades before grabbing the card keys, “damn straight now only you can touch me freckles,” he smiles with the shades. “Ready? I’m going to buy some sunscreen from the store.”

Bruce nods as he shucks on his own sandals, smiling as he adjusts his glasses and reaches for Clint’s hand. “Good,” he murmurs, smiling. “I’d be upset if anyone else tried to touch you.”

He nodded, “yeah, let’s go, I can’t wait to see you wet,” he says, laughing.

“Bruce did you do that on purpose,” he asks a little shocked, “you sly devil you come on,” he grins pulling him out the door and to the elevator.

Bruce chuckles, following after Clint, looking up at him coyly, “I don’t know what you mean,” he says, innocent as he bats his lashes.

“Oh sure you don’t. Don’t worry I’ll get you back later,” he grins as they arrive at the lobby. “Hey try and get a car for us in five minutes,” he says heading over to the shop to get sunscreen.

Bruce blinks in surprise, before he bites his thumb and glances around, trotting over to the lobby desk to talk with the lady there and ask her where he could either call a cab or get a car.

Five minutes later Clint has two towels and two bottles of sunscreen as he heads over to Bruce, “you get a car for us Freckles?”

Bruce nods, smiling as he points outside where a car was waiting. “The lady behind the desk told me who to call. We’re billing it on Tony’s card, by the way,” he said, flicking the gold card out of nowhere. “I don’t think he knows I still have it.”

Clint gives him a hug, “aw Bruce that’s the best present you’ve gotten me for our honeymoon,” he smiles giving him a kiss on the lips.

Bruce smiles into the kiss, giggling when they pull apart. “So this is officially our honeymoon?” He asks, reaching out for Clint’s hand. “I’m glad it’s off to a good start; let’s go before they drive off without us.”

“Yeah sure or we can have another one soon,” he grins as he holds Bruce’s hand as they head to the car.


	16. Slip and Slide

"So," Bruce says once they’re inside, already handing the driver the flier with the address to the water park on it. "What does one actually do at a waterpark, Mr. Freckles?"

“Well Mr. Freckles you go down slides and do things in the pool,” he waggles his eyebrows before laughing. “Have you never been to a water park?”

Bruce makes a face, before shaking his head, “nope. I never really got out much, I guess,” he says, shrugging, “but I will have now, so there’s the plus side.”

“Man that’s just sad. Hey you’re going to love it just don’t swallow the water,” Clint grins as the driver takes them to the water park. It doesn’t take long before the cab driver is parked outside the water park.

"Still," Bruce says, grinning as he opens the car door. "The best part’s the fact that you don’t wear a shirt in a pool," he says, reaching over to pat Clint’s chest playfully before he scampers out of the car.

Clint laughs shaking his head as he gets out of the car following after Bruce. “Hey Bruce let me pay for the tickets I got it,” he smiles. He pays for their tickets and gets a locker for them. “Bruce turn around I’m going to get the lotion on,” he grins.

Bruce let’s out a sigh, turning around, and holds his arms out, “go ahead, then.”

Clint pours the lotion in his hand and grins. Oh revenge was sweet. He begins to rub in the lotion massaging Bruce’s back and arms. He rubs small circles in Bruce back and ghosts his fingers over the skin once he is done with his backside. He turns Bruce around and starts to rub it on his chest making little circles around his nipple area as he puts the lotion on. He’s grinning as he looks at Bruce, “how’s that feel freckles am I getting everywhere.”

Bruce’s face went bright red from minute one, and he looks up at the sky as Clint applies it to his front, swallowing nervously.   
“Yeah, y-you’re doing great,” he squeaks, blushing harder, blush going all the way from the tips of his ears to his shoulders.

“Aw Bruce are you getting burnt already here let me apply another coat of lotion,” he grins as he gets Bruce’s leg. He dips down slowly sticking his rear out as he applies the lotion to Bruce’s lower leg moving up to his thigh gradually. Once he’s finished he pops his butt out and stands up slowly and gets up in front of him. “Better?”

Bruce squeaks as Clint works at his legs, and covers his mouth quickly, shaking his head. “I’m good, thank you,” he says quickly from behind his hand, wishing his blush would go away.

Clint grins having gotten his revenge. “ Good don’t forget to put some lotion on your face,” he smiles as he applies some of the lotion to his face before looking back at Bruce. “Bruce can you get my back,” he asks as he puts some lotion in his hand before handing the bottle back to Bruce as he gets his arms and chest.

Bruce let’s out a sigh of relief once Clint is finished, and, still blushing spreads the lotion over his face. It does nothing to hide the blush. When Clint hands him the bottle of lotion again he blushes again and starts to work on Clint’s back going on his toes to get all of Clint’s shoulders, slow and gentle and careful, not wanting Clint to get burned.

Clint chuckles, “I’m not going to break freckles you can be a little rough,” he finishes getting the lotion on his front side. “You get my back good?”

Bruce examines Clint’s back, ducking his head and pulling his hands back. “Uh, y-yeah, um, Clint did you look in the mirror by chance before we came?” He asked, looking from Clint’s back to peeking around at him.

“Not really why,” he asks sticking the lotion and towels in the locker for later, “You want your glasses in the locker or are you gonna wear them?”

Bruce hands him his glasses, clearing his throat. “Well, you’ve got…” He pauses, blushing. “You’ve got…/scratches/ on your back,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. “I didn’t want to hurt ‘em.”

Clint sticks the glasses in the locker and locks it putting the key in his pants. He shrugs, “they don’t hurt so they must not be that bad. I didn’t know you liked leaving marks like that Bruce,” he teases him as he gives him a kiss, “hmm you’re even cute without the glasses. Alright which ride you wanna do first?”

Bruce rolls his eyes, chuckling nervously, before he shrugs, “whichever ride you’re on is fine by me?”

Clint whines, “Bruce come on choose one,” he says looking around. “How about that one with the inner tubes it’s a dark tunnel slide cool.”

Bruce glances around, before squinting towards the one Clint had pointed out. Again, he shrugged. “Sure; that sounds…fun.”

“Cool go get in line and I’ll grab the double tube,” he smiles. He heads over to where the tubes are and grabs one of the two person tubes and heads up the stairs where Bruce is. “You’re not scare are you Bruce,” he teases him.

Bruce shifts from foot to foot, anxiously as he waits for Clint, but straightens once he’s there. “I’m not /scared/,” he denies, huffing. “It’s just a water ride.”

“In a dark and scary tunnel,” he teases as the line keeps moving forward. “We don’t have to ride it if you don’t want to but it will be fun trust me Bruce.”

Bruce grumbles, reaching out to take Clint’s hand. “I’m not /scared/,” he says again. “I am literally indestructible. What would I have to be afraid of?”

Clint grabs Bruce’s hand as they keep going up the stairs, “well right now Hulk isn’t here and I don’t want him to come out right now either. Can you imagine he would be stuck in the slide until someone cut him out.” He chuckles before sobering up when he sees Bruce’s worry. He rubs his thumb over Bruce’s hand, “hey I’ll hold your hand or shoulder during the ride so you’re not scared ok freckles.”

Bruce wrinkled his nose a bit, but nodded. “Okay,” he said, smiling crookedly at Clint. “But imagine how mad the Hulk would be to wake up in some water tube. He’d be fuming,” he chuckled.

“It would look like a tutu on him. Oh man he would crush me and be all like birdy stuck in tube why,” he chuckles as they reach the top only one person in front of them. “It’ll be ok Bruce trust me,” he smiles as the person asks for them to get set in the slide.

Bruce nods, smiling. “Alright, I trust you, Clint,” he replies, still amused by the image of the Hulk in a tutu. It at least distracted him enough that he wasn’t worried about the slide.

“Sit in the front freckles,” Clint says as he sits in the back of the tube.

Bruce does as directed, fitting in and nodding. “Alright, Clint,” he replied, smiling a bit shakily.

Once Bruce is in the guy waits until the light is green before letting them go. Clint pushes them off down the slide. The tube splashes up on both sides rocking them back and forth as they spin around and down the tube. Clint woots going down the tube as he keeps one hand on Bruce’s shoulder.

Bruce let out a startled squeak as they pushed off, and gripped a hand to Clint’s arm where he held Bruce’s shoulder. His laugh was surprised and slightly scared, but he felt exhilarated as he went down.

They finally see a light at the tunnel and Clint holds onto the handles of the tube, “Bruce hold your handles.” They zip out of the slide and splash into the pool flipping over in the tube. Clint pops out of the water laughing, “You wanna do it again?”

Bruce grips his handles, and when they go splashing he comes up, sputtering and coughing and rubbing his eyes, but he’s grinning. “Yeah!” He says, laughing, “that was fun!”

“Cool high five Bruce,” he smiles holding his hand up, “You want to go down it alone or together again?”

Bruce high-fived Clint, grinning, and laughed. “Uh, I’ll go alone this time! I wanna see if I can do it,” he said, sheepish.

Clint smiles, “ok I’m going to go on the other one they had.”

Bruce nods, getting out of the water with Clint and heading for his line. “Ah, I’ll see you at the bottom then, yeah?” He laughed, smiling.

“Hell yes and then we can go on another slide,” he smiles as he tosses a tube to Bruce before grabbing his own. He then begins to head up the stairs with Bruce and waits in line with him before he is separated to the other slide line. “I’ll see you in a minute babe.”

Bruce waves to Clint as he goes to his own slide, bouncing on his heels anxiously before they wave him towards the slide.

Clint goes down his slide before Bruce and woots as he goes down it. He splashes into the water at the bottom and waits for Bruce to come down. He grins as he puts the tube back and waits in the water. He’s going to pounce on Bruce once he’s out of the slide.

Bruce goes sliding down, laughing gleefully, and goes flipping into the water at the bottom, coming up spluttering as he did before, laughing and wiping his face off.

Clint spots Bruce and grabs him by the waist and brings both of them back down under the water before he lets Bruce go and goes up sputtering. “Missed ya freckles,” he grins.

Bruce gasps in surprise, coughing, before he looks to Clint, grinning and laughing. “Missed you too, Clint,” he replies, hopping into his arms and kissing his nose, smiling sweetly.

Clint smiles and holds him as he swings them around before splashing them again. He gets out of the pool area sputtering. “Hey what ya wanna do next freckles?”

Bruce followed after him, giggling, and grinned. “Uh, not sure; what’d you wanna do, Mr. Freckles?” He asked, chuckling as he looked around.

“Well there’s a tornado slide that looks cool, oh and look at that one you lay down and go straight down, or the corkscrew one, or the tide pool. I mean Bruce just choose one you want to try they all look fun.”

Bruce pursed his lips thoughtfully for a moment, before he grabbed Clint’s hand and nodded, heading for one that looked fun, where people were laying down and went flying. “Let’s go on this one!”

“Lead the way Mr. Freckles,” he laughs following Bruce.

Bruce does just that, dragging Clint along to the new ride and waiting in line excitedly.

Clint chuckles as they get in line, “aw are you excited Bruce,” he laughs as they keep going up the steps.

Bruce nods, smiling. “Yeah; this is fun,” he said, squeezing Clint’s hand. “Better than I thought it would be.”

Clint squeezes his hand back before pulling him into a kiss, “glad you’re having fun freckles,” he says as they wait in line. Soon it is their turn to get on the boards. “I am so going to beat you down the slide Bruce. I got my eye on you he laughs.

Bruce laughs in reply, before he puts on his determined face. “I’m definitely going to beat you down, /darling/,” Bruce replied, grinning wickedly.

Clint grins at him, “we shall see dear,” he replies as they get set up before rushing down the slide on their boards.

They go down, quick as a flash, and Bruce hits the water at the bottom and goes swirling before he manages to swim back up, gasping and looking around to see if he’d won.

“You took off like a rocket Bruce,“ says Clint as he clears the pool with Bruce, “I think you won you skinny jerk,” he says nudging him.

Bruce bounces on his toes happily. “Aerodynamics,” he says proudly, holding out his skinny arms. “I’m faster because you’re tubby,” he teases, poking Clint’s muscled chest.

Clint smirks, “oh if I’m so fat maybe we should just go home. Don’t want to embarrass you Bruce. Sort of like this,” he says as he quickly tugs on Bruce hair playfully.

Bruce squeaks in surprise at the tug, before his face goes red and he hides behind a hand. “N-not in public, Clint!” He says, going to smack his hand away.  
And then he turns, looking for revenge, and reaches out to poke at Clint’s stomach once more. “And you know I love your pudge,” he jokes.

“Pssh we’ve already kissed in public what’s a little tugging between friends,” he grins at Bruce. Clint laughs, “Bruce I’m not the doughboy I’m not going to make the sound he makes when you poke me. Oh cool let’s go on that ride,” he points at a ride where you can swim with the sharks.

Bruce is distracted for the time being, though he very much wants to see if he /can/ get Clint to make the dough boy sound, just for the hell of it, and he glances to where Clint’s pointing, squinting.  
“Isn’t that…dangerous?”

“Eh maybe just a little but it should be fun. I doubt you swim with great white sharks more like baby sharks,” he smiles.

Bruce looks at Clint and shrugs following him to the shark ride, “ok I guess.”

They head over to the shark area and wait in line for about an hour. There can only be a group of twenty people at a time. Once they are close enough though they are given a set of snorkels and a life jacket before the rules are stated such as no grabbing the sharks or swimming under the water to catch the sharks.

Once it is there turn though it is like Bruce said. It’s just small sharks that are about the size of small fish. Clint holds onto Bruce’s hand as they swim around the enclosure before getting out at the end of the ride.

“Dude that was so cool right,” he says returning the snorkel and life jacket to the worker.

Bruce nods his head getting the snorkel and life jacket off quickly, “it was amazing and did you see the tiny zebra shark? It was so cute.”

“Aw just like you I bet,” he teases making Bruce blush.

“W-well I hope I’m cuter than a zebra shark,” he smiles following Clint.

“Oh definitely,” he says spotting a large slide grinning. “Bruce we have to go on that one,” he says pointing it out.

Bruce looks to where Clint is pointing and squints at the half open slide, “is it safe?”

“Yeah it’s just a bigger and longer slide with more turns and stuff. Half of it is in the dark and the other half it’s open. Kind of cool isn’t it,” he grins pulling him towards it.

Bruce follows after him, nodding. “So long as you say so,” he agrees.

Clint smiles and gets in the line waiting for the ride with him, “hey do you have a watch or see a clock somewhere?”

Bruce didn’t have a watch, but he looked round, squinting, until he saw a clock at the front of the line. “Up there,” he said, pointing.

Clint looks in the direction and shrugs, “almost twelve you wanna get something to eat after this ride?”

Bruce nods, realizing that, now that any left over hangover he’d had had vanished, he was feeling a bit hungry. “Yeah, that’d be great!”

Clint grins as they get closer, “cool uh what do you want to eat? I think they only have like burgers and stuff like that here.”

"As long as it’s edible, I don’t mind much," Bruce replied, shrugging. "I’m just hungry," he said, chuckling.

“Aw is little freckles hungry,” he teases before kissing him on the forehead, “don’t worry I’ll feed you after this ride.” Clint woots once it is finally their turn and gets onto the huge tube ride.

Bruce rolls his eyes, but goes with Clint towards the tube, chuckling. “You’re such a child,” he teases.

“And you’re the one who married this child what does that make you Mr. Freckles,” he grins as he gets in the huge tube with Bruce.

Bruce snickers as he positions himself, getting ready. “It makes me a very lucky man.”

The person pushes them off as they ride the slide all the way down to the pool. The tube swirls in circles down the slide and water splashes on them from above as they go through parts of a tubed slide and regular slide.

Bruce let’s out little shrieks of joy as they go, laughing all the way, and keeps his eyes closed to keep the water out of them.

They finally make it out of the tube and splash in the pool below. Clint laughs getting out of the water. “Hey come on freckles let’s get you something to eat before you become a skeleton,” he teases getting out of the pool and helping Bruce out.

Bruce gets out of the pool and shakes his curls out, laughing. “I won’t turn into a skeleton,” he says, poking his own thin side. “I already am one.”

“Pssh are not. You’re too sexy to be a skeleton,” he grins as he looks for a place to eat. He finds one and leads Bruce to it and cringes, “aw money no,” he says pulling out his wet wallet. “Some of it isn’t wet. What ya getting Mr. Freckles?”

Bruce pursed his lips for a moment, before he smiled. “A corndog,” he said, nodding resolutely. And then he chuckled, shaking his head. “How’d you forget to take your wallet out of your swim trunks?” He teased, poking Clint’s side.

“Cause I knew we were getting lunch here and I didn’t want to walk all the way back to the lockers,” he sighs as he waits in line to order, “just one corndog nothing else?”

Bruce snickers, shaking his head. “Clint, you’re such a cute dummy, what am I going to do with you…” He nods at the question, “yeah; maybe two. I’ll steal the rest from you if I need to,” he says, smirking playfully.

“I don’t know love me,” he grins goofily as he orders their meals and pays for them, “chicken fingers and hotdogs oh yeah,” he grins as he waits for their order.

Bruce leans against Clint as they wait, chuckling to himself. He was hungry, but he was also blissful, so it didn’t bother him too much.

Clint smiles and pulls Bruce closer to him as they wait for the meal. Their order comes out soon and Clint takes the tray and leads Bruce away from most of the people. He knew Bruce didn’t like to be crowded so he found a table in the back and sits down with him. He hands Bruce his two corndogs and begins eating his own food. “Hey doc food and swimming rule isn’t true right?”

Bruce was glad Clint brought them to a more secluded area, and happily began to eat, before he looked over to Clint, rolling his eyes and swallowing. “You can get cramps,” he said, shrugging. “But it’s not usually bad, and I think we’re rebel enough to ignore that rule.”

“Yeah I kind of was going to ignore it anyway. Just wanted to know if I should prepare for it,” he says munching on his fries and chicken nuggets. “Ok  freckles you get to pick the next ride.”

Bruce nodded, munching at his food and looking out towards the rides once more. He looked around thoughtfully before pointing to one that had people going down a little yellow blowup rafts. “How about that one?”

Clint looks over at it, “yeah that one looks good,” he smiles. He looks over at a clock, “we have about an hour and a half to do what we need to do before heading back to the hotel.” He grins at Bruce, “you need to be rested and fed good before your surprise.”

Bruce smiled, before he pouted at Clint. “I can’t believe you won’t /tell/ me,” he says, trying to hide his grin as he looks at Clint with wide eyes. “Some big secret, hm?”

Clint smirks, “Oh yeah it’s a huge secret,” he says eating more of his fries, “don’t worry freckles you’ll find out what it is tonight.”

Bruce sighs dramatically, before reaching over to snatch up one of Clint’s fries, snickering. “Alright, I can wait.”

“Aw Derick dear don’t be like that,” he chuckles, “hey you have your own fries don’t steal mine ya jerk,” he teases as he takes one of Bruce’s fries in revenge and eats it. “There now we’re even.”

Bruce sticks out his tongue, turning to his own food and playfully tossing a fry at Clint. “You really are going to get tubby, Clydie-dear,” he teased, reaching over the table to poke Clint’s chest.

He chuckles, “Derick dear don’t start something you don’t plan to finish,” he smirks flicking a fry into Bruce’s hair.

Bruce shakes his head, sending the fry flying, before he grins wickedly. “You’ve started a war, /darling/,” he says, before he aims a fry and hits Clint’s forehead.

Clint starts throwing his fries at Bruce after the first fry hits him, “and you said I was child you hypocrite.”

Bruce ducked to avoid the onslaught of fries, pelting his own in retaliation at Clint. “It’s all your fault; I used to be mature,” Bruce retorts, laughing.

“Did not you just hid it well,” he laughs as he throws fries at him before someone from the restaurant comes over and scolds them. Clint nods his head looking apologetic before snorting as soon as they leave. “Hey let’s head on the ride freckles.

Bruce, usually prone to feeling guilty about disturbing things, just snickers when the employee walks away, before smiling at Clint. “Sure, let’s go ride some more before your ‘big surprise’.”

Clint just grins as they head for the ride with the yellow tubes. He gets in line with Bruce as they grab a double tube. “Bruce we should go down the slide backwards,” he laughs getting in line, “come on Bruce please.”

Bruce pauses thoughtfully for a moment, before he glances at the slide and gives a shrug. “Sure, why not?” He was already hyped, he felt better than he had in ages, why not go down it backwards?

They stand in the line as a guy behind them tsshes and mumbles a slur about them. Clint looks over at Bruce and holds his hand and squeezes it smiling, “hey big surprise tonight freckles.”

Bruce doesn’t quite catch what the person behind them says, and ignores it for the moment, though his smile dims a bit. And then he decides it’s not worth his time and continues smiling at Clint and squeezing his hand back. “What about it?” He asks, chuckling.

Clint hadn’t heard what the guy had said earlier and was just excited to be taking Bruce to the circus later tonight. “Well it might shock you,” he grins as they keep climbing the stair getting closer to the slide, “naw but really you’re going to like it. I hope you like it anyway.”

The man mumbles another slur about Bruce without Clint catching it again.

Bruce twitches, feeling a small amount of annoyance and embarrassment when he hears the mumbles behind them, and tries to keep his composure, since Clint hadn’t seemed to noticed. “I can’t wait,” he says, though his enthusiasm has fallen just a bit. “I bet it’ll be perfect.”

Clint looks at Bruce closely, “hey what’s wrong? Are you ok Bruce,” he asks concerned.

Bruce doesn’t want to concern Clint, or upset him with what he’s heard, so he just shakes his head, trying to smile as happily as he had before. “No, I’m fine,” he says, not wanting to ruin this.

Clint frowns and grabs Bruce’s hand, “Bruce tell me what’s wrong. Did I do something?”

"No, no, of course not," Bruce says, squeezing Clint’s hand and biting his lip. "It’s nothing, really," he tries to reassure him, glancing briefly towards where the muttering had come from. He didn’t want to start this. He’d get too angry. He’d probably hurt whoever had been saying rude things about them. About /Clint/.

Clint frowns and sees Bruce shift his eyes and looks down at the man. He turns around, “hey did you say something to Bruce,” he asks him.

The man doesn’t say anything.

“Hey I’m talking to you,” he says getting angry put not raising his voice, “what did you say man? That’s all I’m asking.”

"Clint, don’t, it doesn’t matter," Bruce says, tugging at his hand anxiously and trying not to look towards the man. He doesn’t want to do this. He wouldn’t care if it was just him, he’s used to it, grown cold towards it, but Clint, he can’t /stand/ the idea of someone saying something like that to Clint. Can’t deal with it.

Clint looks back at Bruce, “Bruce you know what he said just tell me. It obviously got you upset so he needs to apologize.” Clint says moving with the line, “dude just apologize before you regret it.”

The man looks away not saying anything.

“Unbelievable…”

Bruce let’s out a breath of frustration, both at the man’s obvious dismissal—like he’s /better/ than them? It makes Bruce grit his teeth—and Clint insistence. He tugs Clint down, tense, and mumbles what the man had said in his ear, unwilling to just shout it out.   
“Are we done now? He’s obviously too much of a—” Bruce bites his tongue. “He’s not going to apologize, so let’s forget it.”

Clint’s eyes widen, “are you fucking serious,” he says as the person directs them to the slide since it is their turn. Clint puts the tube in the slide trying not to make a scene for Bruce. He really just wants to kick the guy down the stairs Sparta style. “We’re talking about this later Bruce,” he grumbles as he helps him get in the tube.

Clint sighs and sits in his tube when the man decides to finally speak up.

“You’re both a couple of fags.”

Clint glares at the guy and speaks in a calm voice, “actually fags are cigarettes and you’re just jealous I got Bruce first so fuck you fucker,” he says pushing himself and Bruce in the tube down the slide both middle fingers showing at the guy as he screams asshole going down the slide so it echos.

Bruce thinks for a split second about going back up there and ripping the guy apart piece by piece, but that idea is better in theory than in practice, since they were going down the water slide at the moment. Bruce holds his breath once they hit the bottom, almost glad for the shock of water that sprays over them; it distracts him from how royally /pissed/ he is.

Clint gets up out of the water quickly, “Bruce let’s go to a new ride. I don’t trust myself for when that guy comes down. I might drown him.”

Bruce is very tense and nods, though he doesn’t move for a moment. “Can we just wait so I can punch him in the face?” He asks, voice tight. “Because I will. I’d love to.”

“Bruce I don’t think you’ll stop with one punch and I doubt you or Jade Jaws wants to be naked in a park full of kids,” he sighs, “come on let’s go check out the wave pool,” he says grabbing his hand and leading him there.

Bruce follows after him, a bit reluctantly, and scrubs at his eyes with his free hand, dispelling any green that had begun to flicker there. Clint was right, he didn’t want to Hulk out…but one punch would’ve been nice.

Clint stops pulling Bruce and pulls him into a kiss instead, “hey that’s better than a punch right?”

Bruce is hesitant at first, but kisses him back, gently, and feels the rest of his anger fall away quickly. He pulls back, nodding. “Much better than a punch,” he murmurs, giving a small, half-smile.

“How about after the wave pool we call it a day,” he smiles and sneaks another kiss on him.

Bruce chuckles against Clint’s lips, smiling, and nods when they pull apart. “Sounds like a plan,” he replies.

Clint smiles and leads him to the wave pool, “aw man we have to wait eight minutes Bruce make time go faster,” he whines as he swims in the pool.

Bruce rolls his eyes, “I can’t make time go faster but I can do this,” he grins dunking Clint under the water.

Clint sputters and chuckles, “oh really you’re harry potter glasses say different,” he says as he splashes him.

Bruce splashes him back, wrinkling his nose. “Yeah, haven’t heard that one before,” he jokes, grinning. “At least I’m not a /cherub/.”

“A cherub what is that a plant,” he asks splashing him again.

"It’s a /cupid/, dummy," Bruce teases, wiping water from his eyes and splashing him back.

“Aw Bruce no,” he whines, “Hulk already calls me that don’t you start too,” he teases as he pounces on him bringing him under water with him.

Bruce pushes them back up, gasping and laughing as he wrestles with Clint. “I’ll call you what I want, /baby bird/,” he says, grabbing Clint by the shoulders and dropping down into the water, pulling him with him.

Clint sputter as Bruce pushes him under and tries to pulls him down by grabbing his legs. “Hey freckles you better stop it man,” he laughs.

Bruce squeaks, going under, before he kicks free and goes back up, laughing as he jumps at Clint, clinging to him. “You first,” he says, smirking.

Clint grins and lets Bruce cling to him as he wraps his arms around Bruce and begins walking to the deeper end, “aw come on Bruce why do I gotta stop having fun,” he smirks.

Bruce rolls his eyes. “You can have plenty’a fun without drowning me,” he says, chuckling, before he notices where Clint’s taking them. “What’cha doing Clint?” He asks, clinging to him even more.

“Well the wave pool is best at the deep end so we’re going to the deep end,” he grins, “it’s getting ready to start in a minute.” He smirks and keeps a tight hold of Bruce, “are you scared Bruce,” he teases.

"Noooo," Bruce says, pouting as he rests his chin on Clint’s shoulder. "I’m not /scared/. I’m just…not the best swimmer. Try not to get me drowned."

“Pssh I won’t let you drown. Now can you start letting go of me? I’m getting to a point where even I can’t stand up above the water,” he grins.

Bruce pouted, but let Clint go, swimming on his own. “So long as you keep me from drowning,” Bruce replied, dog paddling.

He chuckles, “I will. Hey Bruce why are you dog paddling don’t you know how to tread water and just float?”

Bruce makes a face. “I don’t swim much,” he replied, wrinkling his nose. “I’ve never had much…reason to go swimming.”

Clint raises an eyebrow as the waves start, “really? Hulk likes to swim in the pool a lot so I always thought he got it from you. Do you like swimming?”

Bruce made a noncommital reply, and he’d have shrugged if he wasn’t currently paddling. “I don’t mind swimming. I don’t /do/ it alot, though. Hulk has…gone swimming more than me.” He made a face. “He doesn’t go on boats or planes, that much is for sure, and getting overseas by swimming was his best means?”

“Hmm I’ll ask him next time was just curious freckles,” he says smiling as the waves begin to get higher and knock them both back. “Yeah waves…you having fun Bruce?”

Bruce laughs, keeping himself afloat as the waves start to push them about. “I’ve been having fun from minute one,” he said, grinning.

Clint smiles, “really, that’s great. I thought I messed up bringing you to a water park if you don’t like swimming,” he teases as a wave pushes them both together. He smirks, “ooo I like this Bruce. I like it a lot,” he grins wrapping his arms around Bruce, “seriously though tell me when you don’t want to do something alright.”

Bruce laughs, wriggling in Clint’s arms and kicking his legs. “I will,” he replied, turning his head up to kiss Clint’s chin. “You’re pretty good about keeping me happy, Clint; you don’t need to worry.”

Clint leans down and kisses Bruce on the lips after Bruce kissed him on the chin, “Bruce relax and let the waves beat against you. You don’t need to swim just float,” he chuckles holding onto him in his arms.

Bruce settled in Clint’s arms more, laughing as the waves crashed against them. “As long as you don’t drop me,” he said, smiling up at Clint.

“Hey when have I ever dropped you,” he teases as the waves begin to calm down, “aw man waves no,” he huffs. “I guess it’s time to get out,” he sighs as he carries Bruce before getting an idea. He carries Bruce getting closer to the shallow end before flipping Bruce so he’s in his arms bridal style as he walks them out of the wave pool smiling.

Bruce flailed in surprise before he laughed, wrapping his arms around Clint’s neck. “Clint, you’re terrible,” he says, blushing bright and hoping no one’s paying them any attention. “But I love you, so you’re lucky.”

Clint grins,” and I love when you blush beat red like you are now.” He puts him down after he’s done carrying him from out of the pool and to the main pathway. “So I’m thinking we get showered and get an early dinner and relax what do you say,” he asks.

Bruce smiled rubbing at his blushing cheek absently. “I like that plan,” he says, looking up to Clint before grabbing his hand. “And then this huge secret surprise of yours, right?”

“Hmm that depends on you Bruce. I have to get something from the front desk and I don’t want you peaking,” he says teasing him as they walk back to the lockers.

Bruce rolled his eyes. “I’m not a little kid; I can keep from peeking,” he replied, bouncing on his feet as he followed Clint. “I’m sure I can wait. Probably.”

“Says the man bouncing on the balls of his feet,” he grins as he opens their locker and hands him his glasses and towel. “I’m serious Bruce no peeking. I want it to be a good surprise,” he says looking at him before grabbing a towel and drying himself off. He puts his shirt back on and double checks the locker before heading to the locker station to drop off his key.

Bruce dries himself off, slipping on his own shirt and putting on his glasses, before following after Clint and smiling. “I won’t peek, I promise,” he says, before he nods, looking out towards the street. “I’ll go get the cab.”

Clint nods his head as he carries the bag and waits for Bruce to get a cab.


	17. Jello and Pizza

Bruce went out and hailed a cab, waving feebly to one as it came down the road and bouncing on his feet anxiously.

Clint sees Bruce and can’t help but chuckle at the man trying to wave down a cab. He stands by Bruce as the cab parks beside them. He makes sure Bruce is in first before he gets in. He tells the driver the name of their hotel and looks back at Bruce. “You really don’t know how cute you act do you Bruce?”

Bruce looked over to Clint, blinking in surprise. “I…well, I don’t think of myself as /cute/,” he replied, ducking his head. “I don’t do it on purpose,” he said, adjusting his glasses.

Clint leans over and gives Bruce a one arm hug, “see you’re even doing it now so you need to think you’re cute ok cause you are. Hey if you don’t think you’re cute then what do you think you are? Handsome? Sexy? Come on tell me.”

Bruce ducked further under his arm, shrugging weakly. “I dunno; I don’t really think about it,” he replied. He thought he was too skinny, and short, and way too pale, and he was pretty much sure he looked like a nerdy child next to Clint, but Clint definitely didn’t want to hear that.

“Aw Bruce come on just say one thing you like please,” he smiles at him giving him the puppy eyes. “Come on you didn’t like it when I called ya cute so what do you wanna be called? I mean your sexy and awesome to me but whenever I say something like that you duck your head like you’re doing now,” he said frowning. “Bruce come on one compliment just one thing you like.”

He hates when Bruce does this. Hates it. People should be flocking to him and he doesn’t know how people don’t do that now. Are they crazy? Just look at his freckles he’s not even trying to be cute and sexy but he’s pulling it off. The whole ducking out thing is pissing him off but he’s trying to be nice and let Bruce get out of it.

Bruce doesn’t know what to say. He hates when Clint insists like that, because Bruce doesn’t know /how/ to compliment himself. He has trouble accepting /other/ peoples compliments, let alone coming up with his own. He just feels like…curling up and disappearing when people pay that much attention to him.  
“Sorry, I, ah,” he pauses, trying not to duck his head as he thought. “I d-don’t /dislike/ it when you c-call me cute, Clint,” he says after a moment, eyes down. “I’m just…not used t-to it yet.”

Clint looks over at Bruce being uncomfortable and sighs, “well you’re going to get used to it cause I’m going to keep calling you cute and sexy whenever I want until you can say in the mirror I Mr. Freckles am cute and sexy as fuck,” he grins.

Bruce glances up at Clint and smiles, soft and small. “I’ll try my best,” he replies, shifting to press his face into the crook of Clint’s neck. “Sorry if I’m difficult, Clint.”

Clint shrugs, “hey you put up with my shit too so it’s only fair,” he grins putting an around Bruce, “besides I’m going to find some interesting ways to make you say those words freckles. Very interesting ways,” he grins as he gives Bruce a kiss on the top of his head.

Bruce shifted to look up at Clint, raising a brow. “Do I really want to know?” He asked, before he smiled softly and shook his head, hiding his face once more. “Probably not,” he mumbled against   
Clint’s neck.

“Nah you don’t freckles. I’ll show you later though,” he grins at Bruce as the cab parks them outside the hotel. “Hey how about I show you right now freckles. Wanna shower together? We’ll be saving water and helping the environment like you like to do.”

Bruce’s face went pink and he blinked in surprise. “Really,” he squeaked, definitely okay with the idea, if a bit embarrassed. “I mean, yeah, if you w-want I wouldn’t say no.”

Clint grins, “oh yeah  definitely want to now freckles,” he grins as Bruce blushes, “come on it will be fun.” He heads back to the room with Bruce. He uses the card and opens the door and shivers, “aw room no why you gotta be so cold. Bruce let’s get a hot shower fast.”

Bruce shook his head as they entered the room, smiling softly, and looked from Clint to the bathroom. “Lead the way, /husband/,” he said, chuckling as he reached for Clint’s hand. “It /is/ rather chilly.”

Clint flushes when Bruce calls him husband before looking away and getting his pants and underwear, “Bruce it’s not chilly it’s fucking freezing in here,” he whines as he heads to the bathroom, “get your clothes Bruce.”

Bruce laughs. “You’re such a baby,” he said, grabbing his own clothes and trotting after Clint. “It’s not cold.” Though, Bruce wasn’t really one to judge—there were days he felt like a furnace and days he felt like the arctic. Gamma side-effects, he supposed.

Clint had already turned the shower onto hot and was getting out of his swim trunks when Bruce came in, “cold cold cold,” he says as he jumps into the shower, “aw yes heat Bruce come in already.”

Bruce always felt uncomfortable getting undressed, and so he did it quickly, trying to think that this was just another waterpark ride and everyone had pants on. It worked well enough as he slipped inside.

Clint is under the spray of water just letting it wash over him when Bruce gets in. He smiles, “hey there sexy…wow I don’t think I could count all those freckles, Mr. Freckles.”

Bruce blushes and glances sidelong up at Clint, abashed and trying not to stare. “There are a lot of them,” he says, smiling softly. “I don’t think anyone could count them all.”

Clint grins and puts his hand against the wall blocking Bruce in the shower, “is that a challenge Mr. Freckles,” he smiles down at him.

Bruce looks up at Clint, wide eyed with surprise for a moment, before he gives a small, sly smile and he glances down. “Maybe,” he replied, biting his lip coyly.

Clint grins and leans down and kisses Bruce’s neck, “well there’s one,” he says kissing Bruce on his freckles and counting.

Bruce tilted his head back, blushing as he smiled. “Hmm, so far so good,” he said, chuckling. “Try not to lose count.”

Clint grins and continues counting as he kisses Bruce harder and leaves marks on his neck and chest, “Oh darn lost count better start over again,” he grins.

Bruce laughs at first, before he gets more flustered and swallows, full-body blushing. “What a tragedy,” he replies, biting his lip. His knees felt like jelly, like they always did when Clint kissed him like this.

“Yeah a real tragedy,” he said grinning as be began to suck on his neck. He held Bruce in place as his hand began to explore Bruce’s chest getting lower and lower as he continued to kiss Bruce.

It was a good thing Clint held onto him, because his legs were all but useless, and he made murmurs the longer Clint went on, eyes fluttering closed, beyond making witty comments now.

Clint begins to moan as he’s kissing Bruce before pulling away, “hey Bruce we’re wasting all the water better start getting washed,” he teases. He had just teased Bruce just for the hell of it and was currently getting washed and grinning at Bruce evilly.

Bruce blinked in surprise before glaring at Clint, face hot. “Oh, I see how it is,” he replied, trying not to pout. “Fine. Wouldn’t want to waste the water,” he says, grabbing a bar of soap. He’ll get Clint back, though.

Clint grins and whistles innocently as he begins to wash himself off.

Bruce keeps to himself for a short while, formulating a plan, before he gets an evil glint in his eyes and smiles coyly over at Clint. “Would you like help with your back?” He asks, trying to keep a sweet, doe-eyed face on.

Clint looks over at Bruce and nods his head, “sure. Hey do you need the soap to get washed,” he asks handing him the soap.

Bruce took it gratefully, smiling sweetly. “Thank you,” he said, absently washing at himself before he went for Clint’s back, humming.

Clint smiles as Bruce washes his back, “that feels nice. What are you humming?”

Bruce pauses his humming. “An old piano piece,” he replies, rubbing the soap along Clint’s shoulders. “It’s called Lonely Man.”

Clint let’s out a content sound and sighs, “that feels good freckle…hey you haven’t washed anyone else’s’ back like this have you?”

Bruce blinked in surprise. “What? /No/, there’s only ever been two people to ever even see me /naked/,” he said, shaking his head. He’d never taken a…shower with someone before, let alone washed their backs.

“Good I thought I was going to have to knock some heads,” he smiles, “I’m kidding it’s fine you did whatever you did with whoever you did. Hey I thought you only dated Betty?”

Bruce locked up for a split second, quiet and surprised. “Who told you about Betty?” He asked after a moment, voice a squeak, before his brow furrowed and he scowled. “Hulk,” he grumbled, lips turned down in a frown.

“Yeah…was I not supposed to know about her,” he asks turning around and sees Bruce frowning, “aw Bruce man it’s ok everyone’s had exs some more weird than others. It’s fine honest babe. Would hearing about a weird ex of mine make you feel better?”

"Betty wasn’t weird," Bruce grumbles, before he shakes his head, dislodging the thought. He can’t think about Betty. He can’t.   
“Tell me about your weird ex,” he says, half-smiling as he looks up at Clint.

 

“Yeah well your second person you dated could have been weird,” he shrugs before looking away from Bruce, “uh weird ex let’s see man or woman weird ex,” he asks.

 

"Either one," Bruce says, shrugging. "Though I think I’m most interested in ‘man-ex’," he said, cocking his head curiously at Clint.

Clint groans, “yeah weirdest man ex we have to be out of the shower for that one,” he sighs and gives Bruce a kiss on the lips. “Come on Bruce I’ll get your back,” he grins.

Bruce raises a curious brow, but shakes his head, turning to let Clint wash his back. “Yessir,” he says, rolling his eyes.

“Trust me,” he says washing Bruce’s back, “you’ll thank me you’re not in the shower when you hear the story. You’ll be rolling on the floor,” he sighs.

"I’ll take your word for it," Bruce replies, chuckling softly, though he closes his eyes to enjoy the feel of Clint washing his back.

Clint finishes washing Bruce’s back and gives him a kiss behind the ear before getting out, “relax in the shower Bruce I’m just getting dressed,” he says throwing some underwear on and pants after he’s toweled off. Once he’s done getting dressed he head out the bathroom bare chested and freezes, “Bruce my boobs are freezing,” he whines to him teasing him, “seriously I’m going to turn the heat up for a bit stay in here so you’re warm.”

He heads out into the room freezing as he puts on a shirt first and then turns ups the heat in the room before jumping under the blankets in the bed so only his eyes and top of his head are showing.

Bruce tugs on his briefs and his sweater, but, having left his pants in his bag, huffs in the bathroom as he dries his hair. He peeks out the door, curiously, and when he sees Clint hiding under the covers he snickers, tugging his sweater down a bit as he comes trotting out to join the archer, rolling his eyes. “You’re such a baby,” Bruce teases as he tugs at the covers on the bed, slipping beneath. “It’s not cold.”

“I am not,” he says as he snuggles further into the bed before wrapping his arms around Bruce under the covers, “come here you furnace. It’s story time about why jello shots up the rear are never a good thing.”

Bruce smiles fondly, scooting closer and curling up against Clint. “There, maybe you won’t whine as much,” he said, patting Clint’s chest, teasing him. He laughs, “jello shots? I thought we were going to talk about your ex?”

“I’m not whining I’m cold…how can you always be this hot,” he asks as he curls closer on Bruce and wraps his legs and arms around him to stay warm. “Oh and I mean that both ways,” he grins, “look wise and body heat.”

Bruce rolls his eyes, blushing, and smiles. “It’s a…radiation thing, I think,” he replies, shrugging. “It fluctuates.” Which was why he wore sweaters a lot, even though he wasn’t cold; it switched like a faucet turning off sometimes. “Guess this is just a ‘hot’ kinda day.”

Clint smiles and looks at Bruce, “did you just make a pun?”

Bruce snickers. “Of /course/ not,” he replies, shaking his head with a grin. “I’m much more mature than /that/.”

Clint rolls his eyes, “yeah you sure are and married the most mature guy in the world didn’t you Mr. Freckles,” he laughs. “Oh right story time we were going to talk about the ex. Ok a long long time ago when I was about twenty six I meet a guy who will be referred to as Jello Man. It’ll make sense in a minute. Anyway Jello Man…”

Clint tells the story about his weird infamous ex. Apparently Clint had just found out he liked to bottom and top in relationships and Jello Man had decided he was going to be the only one to top Clint. Clint was fine with it at the time because sex is sex plus he thought Jello Man was cute in his own weird way. Months later after a terrible night where Clint woke up in a motel with a sticky rear reeking of alcohol and jello he called it quits with Jello Man. His ex was a little obsessed with jello and took it too far that night. It was a disaster.

“Anyway that’s the story of Jello man the end. So did it make you feel better freckles.”

Bruce snickers laughing, “uh yeah really Jello Man Clint,” he laughs.

“Uh you weren’t the dummy who dated him or had to live with his jello fantasies,” he smiles seeing Bruce happier. It was a nice look and he was glad he could make Bruce laugh. He yawns covering his mouth, “Bruce what time is it?”

Bruce glanced around, trying to see the clock. “I dunno, it’s, um…” He turned to look at the nightstand clock. “Two thirty. Why?”

“Cause I want to show you your surprise at six tonight and I want us to have dinner before we go so do you want to eat at four,” he asks hugging him, “we can take a nap until then. I just need to set an alarm.”

"I wouldn’t mind eating at four," Bruce replied, before he nodded. "A nap would be nice, too," he said, smiling. "It’s not a cozy with you."

“Ok let me set my watch,” he says as he pulls away from Bruce and sets his watch, “ok come here blanket,” he says snuggling up against Bruce.

Bruce snorts, but curls up against Clint like a pleased cat. “Of course, my nerdy husband,” he replies, kissing his shoulder where he tucks his head against it.

“Hey I’m not nerdy. You’re the nerdy sexy husband in this relationship live up to it,” he teases as he holds Bruce and lets out a sigh trying to fall asleep.

"Thank you, Clint," Bruce mumbled, happily, nosing the side of Clint’s neck as he closed his eyes. "I love you."

“Love you too,” he says falling asleep. More than an hour goes by when the alarm on Clint’s watch goes off. He groans and holds onto Bruce tighter, “Bruce I want more sleep.”

Bruce grumbles where his face is smooshed into Clint’s chest, and he doesn’t open his eyes. “Sleep more then,” he says, yawning and tucking up against Clint more. He’s absolutely up for more sleep because Clint’s always so /comfy/.

“Order take out instead of dinner then,” he asked yawning. He could do with some more sleep specially since Bruce was laying on his chest.

"If that’s what you wanna do," Bruce replied, yawning and stretching a bit. "I don’ mind…" He liked the idea better, actually; he didn’t want to share Clint too much. He wanted to keep him all to himself.

“Fine let me set the watch for five so we can get take out and eat,” he says moving to set the watch before putting his arm around Bruce again and going to sleep.

Bruce grumbles and yawns, before curling back up and falling asleep once more.

The final alarm goes off and Clint sighs before giving Bruce a kiss on the cheek, “wake up sleeping beauty.”

Bruce shifts slightly, rubbing his eyes and yawning as he stretches, pouting. “Ah, I could sleep forever,” he grumbles, sluggish and warm.

“Me too but only if you were with me freckles,” he smiles yawning, “what ya want to order out?”

Bruce peeks an eye open, looking to Clint, before he sits up, hugging his knees and shrugging. “Somethin’ good,” he says, waving a hand vaguely.

“Oh of course Derick dear,” he teases, “pizza ok?”

Bruce rolls over, smirking softly, and flops an arm over Clint. “Pizza’s fine, Clydie-poo, but make sure it’s made by /only/ the finest takeout place in the city,” he whined.

“Only the best for you dear. Now would you like extra roaches on it,” he teases him before finding the pizza number, “one cheese and one pepperoni alright,” he asks Bruce.

Bruce rolls his eyes, before he smiles. “That sounds good,” he replied, before he flopped over dramatically on the bed. “Make sure they have /gold/ cheese toppings, darling, or I might die.”

He laughs and orders the pizza before hanging up the phone, “they said fifteen minutes dear I only asked for the best gold.”

"Good," Bruce said, smiling and holding out his hands. "Now come and kiss me, Clyde, darling, and distract me until the food arrives."

Clint obliges and straddles Bruce ad pins his arms down, “comfy dear,” he asks sounding like Clyde before he licks Bruce’s throat.

Bruce let’s out a gasp of surprise, tilting his head back, and his face turns red. “V-very comfy,” he replies, biting his lip. “You’re always s-so eager, Clyde-dear,” he murmurs, chuckling softly.

“It’s a gift dear,” he teases as he begins to suck on Bruce’s neck and grind on him smirking.

Bruce’s eyes close and he lets out a moan, arching beneath Clint. “Y-you’re going to kill me,” he groans, breath hitching in his throat.

“Oh dear I’m not trying to kill you,” Clint pants as he moves one hand to Bruce’s chest, “I’m only trying to please you dear,” he grins pushing his mouth onto Bruce’s.

Bruce kisses him back, whimpering softly in the back of his throat, and arches again, panting and needy. “Y-you’re doing a good job of it,” he gasps once he pulls his lips back, blinking up at Clint with hazy eyes.

Clint grins, “hmm feels like I’m doing a good job too,” he teases pressing against Bruce before hearing a knock on the door. He gets up off of him quickly and heads to the door to take the pizza. He gives the guy money and tip before bringing it in. “Pizza’s here you hungry,” he asks opening a box and grabbing a slice.

Bruce groans when Clint gets off, pouting as he returns with pizza. “I hate the pizza man,” he grumbles, flopping onto his stomach on the bed and sighing. “Gimme some pizza; at least /pizza/ will let me /finish/.”

“Bruce I need energy if I want to keep up with you later tonight after the surprise. Don’t worry babe we are going to bunk the beds tonight,” he grins handing Bruce a slice of pizza.

Bruce had planned on pouting, but he couldn’t help laughing as he took his pizza. “Sounds like a plan,” he replied, smirking and taking a bite.

Clint nods his head, “yep,” he says eating another slice of pizza, “you want more Bruce,” he asks holding the box out to him.

Bruce steals another slice, saying a quick thank you before he starts eating again, looking pleased.

Clint grins at him and licks his finger once he’s done eating the pizza he wants, “you have jeans you can wear right? You need to be in comfy clothes for your surprise.”

Bruce paused for a moment, thoughtful. “I have comfy pants,” he replies, though he’s not sure if he has /jeans/ per se. He still has quite an aversion to jeans.

“Well as long as you don’t mind them getting dirty you should be fine,” he says as he gets a shirt on and then his boots. He gets his wallet and tucks it in his pants, “get you shoes and pants on I’m gonna brush my teeth before we go. Oh yeah you have to cover your ears when I tell the cab driver the address,” he grins.

Bruce nods, bouncing up to go and pull his pants on. “Alright, I will,” he said, chuckling and feeling a bit more excited. He wondered where they would be going. Somewhere amazing, he was sure; Clint wouldn’t make such a big deal about it if he didn’t know if Bruce would love it.

Clint smiles and heads to the bathroom brushing his teeth quickly. He then comes out and waits for Bruce to be ready turning his phone on silent since they were going to see a circus show. He smiles to himself he can’t wait to see Bruce’s surprise and lite up face. He checks the time and sighs, “good it hasn’t started yet.”

Bruce pauses only to adjust his glasses, before he comes trotting over to Clint with a small, excited smile. “Alright, I’m ready,” he says, trying not to bounce. “Let’s go.”

“Hey go say the thing Mr. Freckles. You gotta say I am cute and sexy as fuck cause you definitely are right now,” he grins. As he gets the door open, “Bruce come on say it.”

Bruce pauses, blinking wide eyes, before he blushes. “Now?” He glances down at himself, smoothing his hands over his shirt. “To the mirror or to you?”

Clint grins, “to me for now you can say it later when we come back to the mirror. I’ll make sure you see your cute face in the mirror,” he says waggling his eyebrows. He laughs a bit, “come on Bruce just say it please.”

Bruce takes just a moment, hands fidgeting with his shirt, before he straightens up and looks at Clint, biting his lip. “I am…cute…and, er, sexy,” he says, cheeks red. “Happy?”

“It will do for now,” he smiles giving him a kiss on the lips, “you forgot the  ‘as fuck’ part. Come on,” he says grabbing his hand as he leads him out the door. He walks with him to the elevator and waits for it to ding before getting on and presses the lobby button. Once there he let’s go of Bruce’s hand, “stay here I have to pick something up from the reception desk.”

He quickly rushes over to the desk and gets the tickets for the circus before waving Bruce over as he calls a cab, “remember cover your ears.”

Bruce follows quickly after Clint, rolling his eyes when he comes to his side. “Yes, /dear/,” he says, chuckling, and covers his ears with his hands so Clint can talk to the cabbie.

Once Clint has said the address to the cabbie he removes Bruce’s hands from his ears, “When we start getting closer you’re going to have to close your eyes,” he smiles, “you getting excited yet.”

Bruce grins at Clint, nodding his head. “Yes,” he says, bouncing on his toes. “I can’t wait.”

Clint smiles as he holds Bruce’s hand. Ten minutes later the cabbie says they are getting close. “Bruce close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you.” The ride is only less than a minute before Clint pays the driver and helps Bruce out of the car and walks him through the doors.

Popcorn, corndogs, and all types of junk food waft in the air as he makes sure Bruce is in a good spot. He grins, “ok Bruce you can open your eyes.”

Bruce nervously closes his eyes and when Clint leads him out of the cab he clings to his arm, a bit excited, a bit anxious, and wondering why the world smells wonderful.  
When Clint tells him to open his eyes he’s almost nervous, because he doesn’t know what to expect.  
When he /does/ open his eyes, he sucks in a surprised breath, and his mouth drops open, eyes wide.  
“A circus?” He asks, looking up at Clint as a bright smile spreads across his face.

Clint smiles seeing  Bruce’s face light up. Score one for Clint, “yeah you told me you liked when your mom took you to the circus and you haven’t been to one in a long time so yeah surprise,” he smiles.

Bruce nearly bounces where he stands, pressing a hand over his mouth as he looks around, laughing. “Oh my god, thank you, Clint!” He says, gleeful, and goes on his toes to kiss him, before he pulls him in for a hug. “Thank you, thank you!” He says, face squished against Clint’s chest.

Clint is surprised by the kiss and hugs Bruce back happy that Bruce is happy, “glad you like the surprise freckles. Now come on let’s get some good junk food and find our seats for the show,” he grins.

Bruce laughs, pulling back and grabbing Clint’s hand, nodding. “We don’t want to miss it,” he agreed, grinning. “Let’s get corndogs and funnel cakes,” he says, trying to keep himself composed, though he’s as excited as he’d been when he was seven.

Clint chuckles, “alright freckles and hey go nuts you’re at the circus. I can see it in your eyes jump up and down if you want to,” he laughs as he waits in line and orders the junk food for them.

"It’s just…I love the circus!" Bruce says, practically bouncing now. "It’s the one place I don’t mind a lot of people; the acts are always beautiful and amazing and the elephants are the best /part/, and," he just shakes his head, giddy.

Clint can’t handle the cutie anymore and just kisses him right there, “god your cute,” he smiles at Bruce. “I’m glad the circus was a good choice,” he says grabbing their food, “our seats are this way,” he says making sure Bruce is following him.

The seats are in the middle and ore towards the front. “Look at that right in the middle of the action,” he says as he sits down first.

Bruce sits happily beside him, feeling like a kid again as he looks around. He can almost imagine his mother beside him, telling him all about what was going on, about how the acrobats could do what they did, about how the animals were trained and where they were from.  
He leaned into Clint’s side, so happy he felt teary eyed.

Clint puts an arm around Bruce and smiles before he frowns, “Bruce’s what’s wrong? I thought you liked the circus?”

Bruce sniffed, looking up to Clint and shaking his head. “No, I do,” he said, still smiling, rubbing at his eyes beneath his glasses. “I do, I promise, I’m so happy,” he said, before he scooted closer under Clint’s arm. “I was just…remembering.”

Clint sighs, “alright Bruce I was worried. Hey you think your mom would have liked me,” he says giving him a wacky smile so he would cheer up.

"She’d have loved you," Bruce said instantly, smiling back at him reaching to hold his other hand. "She loved everyone, really, but she’d have liked how fun you are. She always loved to laugh."

“Oh yeah I was a clown at one point,” he laughs as the show begins to the introduction.

"I remember you told me that," Bruce replied, before going quiet and wide eyed so he could watch the show, nestled against Clint.


	18. The Circus

After the introduction of the performers the acrobats are left to do their stunning feats. They spin and fly in the air pretending to almost miss the bars.

Along with the rest of the crowd, Bruce watches with rapt excitement, and squeezes Clint’s hand just a bit whenever he thinks someone might fall.

Clint keeps his arm around Bruce as he watches Bruce’s face light up. He’s seen enough acts like this to not get too excited. Plus he’s lived it so it’s kind like going down memory lane. The next act comes up but it takes a while for the set to change and get ready so they send out the clowns to distract the crowd.

Bruce knows a lot of people find clowns creepy, but he’s always thought they were funny, and he laughs when one gets a pie to the face, another trips over his own feet, and other silly little acts like that, absolutely blissful.

Clint smiles and spots a shorter clown and sighs, “they have a kid being a clown. They’re pretty good,” he says watching the mini clown pie another clown in the face before running away.

Bruce spots the one he mentions and chuckles. “You’re right; they got that guy right in the face.”

The older clown begins to chase after the smaller one who goes right through their legs and makes a face before running off to the back of the tent the older one chasing the little clown. The set up was complete in the back and now the lion and tiger tamer come out.

Bruce chuckles at the clowns, watching them go, before he gets distracted by the lions, making a happy noise of surprise. “Ah, I love this,” he says, grinning.

Clint chuckles, “I do too babe. Glad you’re having fun,” he says watching the lion tamers.

The woman makes the lions jump on the chair and stand up on their hind legs. She even sets a hoop up for them to jump through. It takes some time before the stubborn overgrown cats listen but when they do it looks amazing. They jump through the hoop and rolls on their bellies. Soon the act is ending with the lions and tigers giving the audience a loud roar before they are herded off the stage. The next act comes out with the ponies and dogs doing tricks around the ring.

Bruce claps, smiling happily as one dog hops from back to back of the ponies, jumping through a hoop at the end.

Clint laughs watching Bruce get excited. Hey at least he was enjoying himself. The dogs and ponies are then taken from the main ring and sent to the back as the new act begins to set up.

Bruce looks over to Clint as they set up, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “You’re the best husband ever,” he says, sighing happily.

“Better be the only husband,” he teases kissing him back as the next act begins with a few dancers and fire eaters.

Bruce snickers, shifting so he can watch the show once more. “I don’t think I could handle /another/ husband,” he says, before getting caught up in the act below, watching the dancers with wide eyes as the fire-performers work around them.

“Aw you wouldn’t want a threesome,” he teases, “kidding I’m too greedy. I wouldn’t let anyone else touch you.”

Bruce blushed and looked up, biting his lip with a smile. “Good. I wouldn’t want anyone touching you either.”

Clint grins and puts his hand on Bruce thigh squeezing before rubbing him, “you mean like this freckles?”

Bruce’s ears go red and he covers his mouth, trying not to squeak when he nods. “Yeah, l-like that,” he says, biting his lip.

Clint laughs and pats him on the leg, “hey I get it no more until later. I’ll let you watch the show,” he smiles as the next act begins to perform. About an hour goes by before the final act with the elephants. “Bruce look it’s your elephants.”

Bruce had been enjoying everything, he really had, but he’d been waiting for the elephants the most. When they came out he gripped Clint’s hand, looking at him with a wide, absolutely gleeful smile. “The elephants!” He said, by way of agreement, before he looked back to the act, bouncing in his seat.

Clint covers his mouth laughing, “wow you really like them. Look they’re standing up and doing tricks.” Clint knew what he was going to do. He was going to get Bruce a stuffed elephant before they left the circus.

Bruce clapped his hands together excitedly, watching the elephants do their tricks, slow and careful and lumbering as they were. Elephants never acted like they were in a hurry; they waddled about and stood on their hind legs and went through hoops and Bruce /adored/ it.

Clint snickers and looks at Bruce, “ok I have to know why do you like the elephants so much,” he asks watching the elephants do their tricks.

Bruce leans his head on Clint as he watches, happy. “Well, when I came to the circus with my ma, there were four big elephants and a baby, and I was scared of them,” he murmurs, playing with Clint’s hand as he speaks. “They were huge and scary and even when my mama told me they weren’t bad I thought they would step on me.” He smiles, “but when I was walking by one of the enclosures, I saw there was a baby, and when I went to get a closer look the mama came lumbering over, and I didn’t want to move in case I surprised her, so she just stood there for a minute before she reached out with her trunk to me. It was terrifying.” He chuckles, looking out at the elephants doing their tricks. “But she didn’t hurt me, she just blew air into my hair and patted my head and snuffled at my clothes, and I ended up laughing and playing with her until my mama came and found me.” He glanced up at Clint, smiling softly, “I was so used to big things hurting me, and she didn’t at all. She was a just this huge, gentle giant.” He glanced back out towards the elephants, sighing. “I love elephants.”

Clint smiles listening to the story. He hates how Bruce is scared of big things but he can guess as to why that is besides having a shitty dad and General Ross no wonder he was scared of big things. He gives Bruce a kiss on the lips, “hey I’ll be right back and once the show is done we can look at the elephants alright,” he says as he leaves Bruce in the seat trying to find the man who was selling the elephant plushies.

Bruce smiles at the kiss, curling his legs up as Clint goes so he can rest his chin on his knees and watch the elephants, sighing happily.

Clint heads back to the entrance and sees the seller from before and asks for one of the elephants before deciding to get two. Once he pays for them he heads up back to Bruce and sits down by him. “Hey look what I found don’t they look like us,” he grins giving Bruce the purple one while he has a regular greyish one.

Bruce looks up and he gasps in surprise, reaching out to take his almost reverently. “Oh my gosh,” he says, before he hugs it to his chest and smiled. “Thank you, Clint,” he squeaks, leaning over to plant a big kiss to his cheek. “God, I love you.”

“Pssh you better love me husband cause I love you a hell of a lot,” he teases as they continue to watch the elephants before the final act. It’s a mesh pod of all the previous acts together. The way it was done in sync blows Clint’s mind. He can’t believe how in step the performers and animals are together. Once the final act is over Clint stand up along with Bruce and claps. He stretches as the audience begins to leave, “did you have fun Bruce?”

Bruce still hugs his elephant, and nods happily. “Of course I did,” he says, sighing with content. “I think this was, hands down, the best surprise I’ve ever gotten.”

Clint looks at him surprised, “really? Come on you’ve had to have better dates and surprises than this. Well I guess it doesn’t matter,” he says rubbing the back of his head before grinning, “let’s sneak over to the elephant section. You have to be really quiet and follow me,” he smiles as he hands his elephant to Bruce.

Bruce nods, taking Clint’s elephant and smiling slyly. “I feel like we’re not supposed to be doing it if we have to be quiet,” he says, chuckling, but he doesn’t care much—he just wants to see the elephants.

Clint sighs, “well you want to see the elephants again so let’s go see them. We’re the Avengers for fucks sake we can do what we want,” he smiles as he leads Bruce to the back area where it says off limits to guests. “Come on be bad just this once.”

"I’ll always be bad for you, Clint," Bruce says, snickering softly and looking up at Clint coyly. "Come on, let’s go see some elephants, my badass husband."

“Damn straight,” he says holding Bruce’s hand as they head to the elephant enclosure. Clint sees a moving shadow and pushes Bruce behind one of the walls to hide.

“Rebecca get your fucking ass back over here now and clean up this shit.”

Bruce goes silent instantly, looking up at Clint, slightly worried by the voice as they hide.  
A little girl of about ten or eleven comes out, a short distance ahead, looking miserable. “Yessir,” she grumbles, scowling.

Clint keeps Bruce steady not wanting to let the person or kid know they are against the wall.

“I said move it you shithead,” yells the man as he throws the shovel at the girl. “Clean up the elephant shit.”

Bruce goes as tense as a board, his jaw clenching, as he listens to the shouting, and struggles to keep his fists from clenching.  
“O/kay/,” the girl says, ducking to pick up the shovel, trying to keep her eyes down to avoid the man’s eyes.

The man leaves the girl heading off to another tent. Clint is holding Bruce and looks at him knowing that look, “Bruce what are you thinking of doing?”

"Not leaving some kid with someone like that," Bruce replies briskly, going from his cute, happy self to Doctor Bruce Banner who isn’t about to play. "If I don’t knock a head, then I’ll do something else."

The girl is doing her work, and doesn’t notice the voices behind her. She makes a face as she shoves the elephant poop and throws it into the bin. She hears mumbling and goes to investigate the noise.

Clint groans, “Bruce you can’t just steal a kid like that what if she has a family or something here. You can’t take her away from that…” he stops talking when he feels a shovel being slammed on his leg.

“Guests are not allowed back here,” the little girl says glaring at both of them as she wipes her nose on her shirt.

“Son of a bitch,” says Clint holding his leg, “the hell you don’t hit people…”

Bruce is distracted from his rage by the sight of the little girl, pausing and blinking. “Hello,” he says, quietly, frowning because she has a /bruise/ on her cheek and she looks roughed up and dirty in general, and that sets Bruce’s teeth on edge.

“Hi you’re still not allowed to be back here,” she says ignoring Bruce’s hello. “Are you lost or just stupid? The sign said no guests allowed,” reiterates again pointing her skinny arm at the sign. She’s too bony and Clint has a feeling they would be able to see her ribs clearly.

"Stupid, mostly," Bruce says, hugging his elephants to his chest. "Also rebellious. I wanted to see the elephants." He doesn’t want to leave yet; he wants to talk to this girl, wants to help her.

“You already got to see them in the show,” she says looking over her back, “I’m going to get in trouble if you don’t leave.”

Clint sighs and grabs Bruce’s arm looking down at the girl, “I got it I’ll bring my friend back out. Hey where are your parents by the way?”

Bruce hardly notices Clint grab his arm, looking down intently at the girl.

“I don’t have any,” she replies, frowning as she shoos them both more. “Now leave.”

Clint nods his head at the girl and pulls Bruce from the enclosure room. Clint looks at Bruce’s face and frowns, “Bruce what did I do now?”

Bruce looks to Clint, eyes wide. “We can’t leave her here,” he says with conviction, though he mostly feels upset and angry. There was a /bruise/. On her /face/. And he’s sure if she hadn’t been wearing long sleeves they’d have been on her /arms/ too.

“You’re serious aren’t you,” Clint sighs looking at him before grumbling, “you couldn’t have asked for a puppy first? I’m shit with kids Bruce and she hates me. My leg is going to be bruised.”

Bruce looked at Clint, scowling. “She had /bruises/, Clint. We can’t leave her.” Bruce has never been able to leave a child in need to go without. He can’t do it. It hits too close to home for him.

“Who said we were leaving her? Why do you think I asked if she had parents? I have eyes you know. I mean Hawkeye, you are married to Hawkeye. I was just expecting a puppy for practice you know so I don’t screw up with the kid,” he says looking down rubbing the back of his neck.

Bruce paused, silent, for just a moment, before he leaned forward and kissed Clint’s cheek. “Thank you, Clint,” he murmured, before he straightened. “Now, what do we do?”

“Uh we ask her if she wants to come with us. If she says yes we take her if not we call the cops on them. She’ll be put in a home but it might be better than here. No guarantee on that though,” he mumbles.

Bruce nods. “Okay, sounds like a plan.” He glances towards where they’d just left her. “Let’s do this now, then.” He was…almost nervous. He didn’t know what she would say.

“Yeah you do all the talking she likes you better than me,” he says as they go through the door again.

The little girl is there and hits Clint with a broom, “you’re not lost this time go home.”

Clint rubs his leg, “see she loves you Bruce.”

Bruce manages to chuckle, before he looks to the little girl and shakes his head. “We’re not lost, we actually came back to ask you something. But first; what’s your name?”

She looks at them both suspiciously, “Rebecca why? Are you gonna tell the ring leader on me,” she asks worried, “I didn’t mean to hit you but Larry does it all the time to make people go away…”

Clint sighs, “you’re fine Rebecca bet it won’t even bruise and Larry shouldn’t be hitting people. It’s wrong.”

"We’re not going to tell on you," Bruce adds, looking at her thoughtfully. "We actually came back to ask you if you’d like to leave this place. This ‘Larry’ isn’t someone fit to raise a kid, obviously, and I don’t have the heart to ignore something like how he seems to treat you."

“But I can’t leave. The ring leader bought me when I was little and he has a contract that says I belong to him,” she says holding the broom sadly.

“Rebecca do you know who we are,” asks Clint as Rebecca shakes her head no, “we’re the Avengers. We help people get out of situations just like this. Come with us and that contract will disappear. We’ll take care of it.”

Bought her/Like she’s some pet/, Bruce thought, struggling to keep himself calm and not scare her off. “Yeah, don’t worry. We can be very persuasive. And besides—you’re a person. No one can keep you if they’re not taking care of you. That’s the rules.”

She shakes her head no. She doesn’t believe they are the Avengers but they could be cops or someone else? She shakes her head again, “the ring leader doesn’t think so. One of the acrobats is nice. She gives me more food when there’s not a lot. She said it was sad that I was a child traffic? I don’t know it sounded weird and I don’t create that much traffic I’m the only kid here. Maybe it’s a French thing and there’s no good English translation for it…”

Clint grips Bruce’s arm when Rebecca says child traffic, “Bruce stay with me.”

Bruce’s hands shake with rage, eyes flashing green for a moment when he looks over to Clint. “We…” He takes a deep breath, looking back to Rebecca. “We can be /very/ persuasive, don’t worry. He’ll listen.” Or else, he thought, trembling.

“He won’t listen,” she says before thinking a moment, “but I can sneak out. Can I get my stuff? It’s not a lot I just want the picture.”

"As long as you don’t get caught, you can go get your stuff," Bruce replied, keeping himself calm. "Just be careful, alright, and once we get you out of here, my friend and I will…have a chat with your ring master, okay? Everything’ll be worked out."

She nods her head and drops the broom leaving them behind to get her stuff.

Clint looks over at Bruce and chuckles, “we’re going to talk to the ring leader,” he smirks.

Bruce glances over at Clint, fist clenching hard enough to turn his knuckles a pale green, and he gives a sweet smile. “We’re going to have a long, thoughtful conversation with the man,” he replies, voice like ice.

Clint grabs Bruce’s arm, “I think we should talk to the guy tomorrow after we have Rebecca back at the hotel so he can’t use her against us,” he smirks, “then you can go green all you want dear.”

Bruce takes a deep breath, nodding slowly, and hugs the elephants he’d tucked under his arm to his chest, once more the picture of doe-eyed worry. “You’re right. Becca’s the most important in this right now. We can’t get her hurt.”

“I’m always right,” he laughs, “well except for that one time with the doom bots, and the mutated flies, and the honey incident…ok I’m right about this thing,” he says pouting like a kid.

Fifteen minutes go by without a sign of Rebecca coming back. Clint kicks his shoe into the ground worried. He hasn’t seen any movement since Rebecca left.

Bruce starts getting worried about five minutes after she’s been gone, and by the time fifteen minutes rolls around he’s feeling a bit panicked. “Clint, let’s go look for her,” he says, looking at Clint with wide eyes.

Clint nods his head and begins to look for Rebecca with Bruce, “stay quiet Bruce.”

Bruce nods, though it’s easier said than done, and follows after Clint, worried and upset.

Clint stays quiet as he makes his way through the back of the circus. He hears a whipping sound and scream. He pauses pushing Bruce back. “Bruce don’t look let me handle this,” he says walking towards the ring leader, “hey dipshit the fuck you doing to Rebecca?”

Bruce stays back, though he can feel the Hulk well aware at the back of his mind, and has to clamp his eyes shut and block out the world to keep him in.

Rebecca cowers, hands covering her face, on the ground, and she doesn’t look up when Clint comes in, too scared to bring the attention back to herself. She whimpers and scrambles away into a corner. Her back is oozing blood as she curls up against the wall shaking.

“I said fuck face what’s your problem hitting a girl,” Clint says standing in front of the guy, “I’ll make you a deal you give me the girl and no one gets hurt got it.”

The ringmaster finally looked over at Clint and snorted a laugh. “This isn’t any of your business. I’ll treat my cattle how I want. Now either /you/ leave, or you’ll be getting the same treatment as this little bastard here.”

Deep breathes, that’s how Bruce was managing, deep breaths and clenched fists. He was going to kill this guy.

“Cattle,” Clint raises an eyebrow, “oh I’d like to see you try you bastard,” he grins, “come on try and hit me with the whip I dare you,” he smirks eyeing the tools he can use around him.

Rebecca chances a look up her face bleeding as she whimpers a no to Clint.

The ringmaster grips the whip tighter in his fist, looking enraged. “I don’t know /who/ you think you are,” he says, stepping forward. “But you will know your place, just like /her/.”  
He raises the whip and strikes out at Clint, and the sound of the whips crack forces Bruce to cover his ears.

Clint raises his arm in front of Rebecca so she doesn’t get hit with the whip and wraps his arm around it. He grins at the ring master, “my turn,” he says as he use the whip to pull the ring master closer to him. He knees him in the gut before punching him in the face. He uses the whip around his arm and wraps it around the ring master’s neck and kicks him in the back with his knee before he begins to strangle him pushing him to the ground and pulling the whip around his neck, “you gonna let her go now,” he ask as he tightens the whip around his neck choking him more.

The ring master was taken completely by surprise, and gripped at the whip around his neck, gasping for breath as he went down to his knees. He thought about struggling for a split second, but decided it wasn’t worth it.

“T-take her!” He shouted, voice a breathless rasp. “Don’t care! Just t-t-take her!”

Clint grins and keeps a firm hold on the ring leader, “Rebecca get your stuff and go to Bruce now.”

Rebecca doesn’t waste any time. She picks up her picture and things on the ground and runs towards the exit where Bruce is waiting. She stands in front of Bruce in pain as the blood soaks her shirt. Clint waits until she is gone and whispers to the ring leader.

“You ever think about finding her or us I’ll fucking kill you got it,” he whispers in his ear before releasing him and kicking him to the side before walking towards the exit. His arm is bleeding from the whip mark but he doesn’t notice it.

The ringmaster falls to the ground with a gasp and a thump, and doesn’t try to follow.

Bruce was, very carefully, opening his eyes and uncovering his ears as Rebecca came to him, and he checked the cuts and bruises the ringmaster had given her, trying to keep his vision from turning green as he did.

“You’ll be alright,” he was saying, smiling at her. “We’ll get you all cleaned and patched up a—”  
He pauses when he sees Clint, and sucks in a breath of surprise, eyes flashing green briefly. “You’re bleeding,” he says, worried and slightly angry, standing up straight.

Clint looks down at his arm and shrugs, “eh I’ve had worse it’s not that bad. Let’s head to the hotel and you can play doctor,” he grins trying to calm him down by making a joke. He moves out of the back room and makes sure both of them are following him.

Rebecca stays close to Bruce and holds onto his hand as she looks between them both. “Hotel,” she asks nervously, “I don’t want to have sex. Jessie said you go to hotels when you have sex and…”

“Whoa Becca calm down that’s not what’s going to happen Bruce is going to patch us up alright.”

Bruce holds Rebecca’s hand carefully, and nearly chokes when she talks about what ‘Jessie’ told her. “Definitely not,” he sputters, before he composes himself. “I’m going to make sure you don’t need any in depth medical treatment, and then we’re going to get you something to eat and some sleep, alright? You don’t need to worry.”

Rebecca nods her head as she watches Clint wave down a cab. She gets in the car with them and frowns, “then why did you get me out of the circus if you weren’t going to use me,” she asks before looking at Clint, “you didn’t have to get hurt to get me.”

Bruce looks at her with wide eyes, but he can understand. He’s had the same feeling before. So he just shakes his head, frowning. “We helped you because it’s the right thing to do. We don’t want anything from you. I promise. We just want to help.”

She looks confused, “so are you going to fix me up and sell me?”

Clint looks disgusted, “hell no. You’re going to be our kid we’ll take care of and spoil…well if you want to that is. It’s kind of still in the works and all that paperwork stuff too,” he looks at Bruce, “you think if I give Phil one of Caps workout shirts he’ll do the paperwork for us?”

Bruce looked over to Clint and was distracted from his disgust for a moment, snickering. “He’d probably do anything for you if you did that,” he replied, before he looked back down to Rebecca. “You’re not being sold, or bought, or owned; you’re a person. No one can /own/ a person. You get to choose where you want to go, whether it’s with us or somewhere far, far away.”

She looks confused and Clint interrupts her before she can say anything, “look you get to choose now if you want to stay with us or choose other parents alright. Simple as that,” he says as they arrive at the hotel.

"We won’t pressure you to stay," Bruce says, carefully, looking over to Clint. "But…We’d like to take care of you, if you’d like."

She looks at them both and shakes her head, “I want to stay with you two now.”


	19. How to Dad 101

Rebecca looks at both Clint and Bruce before blurting the question out in the car, “are you brothers or are you gay,” she asks not flinching. “I don’t think it’s bad but other people might think it is. Cause I’m a little girl staying with two men.”

Bruce’s eyes widen slightly, before he just raises his hand, wiggling his ring finger. “Married,” he says, glancing over at Clint with a small smile.

She looks at the ring confused, “I thought you couldn’t get married,” she says confused.

"Not in certain states it’s not allowed," Bruce replied, nodding. "But it’s allowed here. It was…rather recent."

She looks between them both and grins, “you got married when you were drunk didn’t you.”

Clint look at her, “hey that is not how it went…I actually don’t remember how it went…”

“Are you going to get a divorcee then? Are you guys going to share me between two houses and then make awkward visits,” she smirks as the car is park right outside the hotel.

Bruce looks at her and chuckles, shaking his head getting out of the car. “No, uh, I don’t think we’ll get a divorce,” he replies, smiling. “I’m kind of attached.”

Clint chuckles, “Bruce she’s just messing with you isn’t that right,” he smirks at her.

She nods her head and grins, “yeah I teased someone until they finally got together. They were louder than the lions for weeks.”

Clint laughs as they head inside the hotel towards the elevator, “oh don’t worry Bruce I like the reassurance you’re not going to leave me for a hot piece of scientist,” he says giving him a kiss on the lips.

Bruce blushes at the kiss, before he pulls back and rolls his eyes. “There’s only one scientist I know and actually /like/, and Tony’s too much of a mad scientist for me to ever leave you for him.” He snickered, before he looked over at Rebecca, smiling. “So, we should probably warn you; all of our friends are going to adore you. Tony might just buy you the moon; he’s weird like that.”

She looks at Bruce, “Is Tony rich then,” she asks getting worried. Oh no what am I doing I don’t know how to be rich or anything, “I don’t want to be Annie and have a Warbucks for an uncle. That would just be weird.”

Clint guffs as he uses the card to enter the room, “dude I’m calling Tony that from now on. I’m going to call him daddy Warbucks when I use my card.”

Bruce laughs as well, shaking his head. “He’s going to hate you,” Bruce says, going to set the elephants on the bed before he looks back to Rebecca. “And don’t worry; you won’t have to be Annie. Tony just doesn’t know how to interact with people so he throws money at them. It’s funny.”

“Why does he throw money at people? Not everyone is a stripper. Plus they like it when you tuck it in their underwear not throw it at them,” she nods her head as she looks at the pizza boxes.

Clint chuckles, “go eat some pizza Rebecca.”

Bruce covers his mouth with the back of his hand, trying to keep from laughing too hard, and looks at the ceiling. “Tony’s going to love you, my god.” He shakes his head, glancing to Clint. “Steve’s going to be scandalized, though.” He snickers, grinning.

She shrugs and starts eating the pizza from the box quickly. She talks with her mouth full, “why would Steve feel scandalized? Is he Tony’s husband too? Married gay guys hang out with other married gay guys right or do only straight people do that,” she asks stuffing more pizza in her mouth.

She’s so blunt, Bruce thought, laughing. Steve really /was/ going to be scandalized. “No, they’re not married, though they act like it sometimes. Steve’s just very…sensitive,” he says, snickering softly as he plops down on the bed, sitting cross legged.

She looks confused, “so Steve is gay then? One of the guys that did the swings said that all sensitive guys are all gay is that true? Jonny was sensitive but he was sleeping with Maria all the time. It wasn’t a good thing either because she has a husband…kind of,” she says confusing herself.

“No not all gay guys are sensitive,” chuckles Clint, “do you think I’m sensitive?”

She looks at him and shakes her head eating another slice of pizza, “no cause you kicked the ring leader’s ass. He choked him with the whip and beat him and everything Bruce. It was so cool. You should have seen it,” she smiles.

Bruce glances towards Clint with slightly wide eyes, before he clears his throat. “That reminds me. Clint, grab the first aid kit out of the bag so I can clean up that arm of yours as well as yours Rebecca.”

He shakes his head, before looking back to Rebecca. “And, um, Steve was raised differently, so he’s a bit more sensitive,” he replied. Mostly because he wasn’t sure where Steve stood on the sexuality spectrum; he’d never asked.

Clint groans, “Bruce it’s not that bad take care of Rebecca first,” he teases sticking his tongue out at Rebecca.

Rebecca pouts, “but I don’t want any band aids. I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep it off…” she winces as the back of her shirt sticks to her open wounds.

"Then go get me the first aid kit for /her/," Bruce replies, rolling his eyes at Clint before he looks to Rebecca. "We can’t have you getting an infection; you were working in a dirty environment /and/ you have open wounds. Bandaids will keep you from getting sick."

Clint sighs as he gets the first aid kit and brings it back to Bruce. Rebecca goes over to the glass window in the hotel. “I don’t need band aids. People will ask questions.”

Bruce frowns, shaking his head. “You don’t need to worry about that. Your health is most important. If they ask questions, they can get the truth; you got hurt. I patched you back up. That’s it. There’s no need to lie.”

“But if they ask too many questions they’ll take me away,” she says scared.

Clint rubs Bruce’s back, “Bruce sit down a minute,” Clint goes over to her and kneels down, “Rebecca they are not going to take you away. Bruce and I won’t let them. You have a whole team of people that won’t let that happen so don’t be scared and let Bruce help you. I know it’s really scary and you don’t know if you can trust us yet but Bruce is a good guy. He just wants to help.”

Bruce sits on the edge of the bed, toying with the bandaids with a small frown, slightly worried. He felt like he was already bad at this. He hoped Clint was better at this than him.

She looks at Bruce and then Clint, “I won’t get sent away?”

“No he’s just going to clean you up and make you feel better,” he smiles.

She nods her head and jumps on the bed and scoots closer to Bruce. “My shirt is stuck. It’s going to hurt,” she says looking down at the floor. Becca frowns, and holds out her arm that was cut not saying a word to him a little scared.

Bruce glances up in surprise, before he lights up with a smile, carefully wiping off the cuts with the disinfectant before he puts the bandaids on. “Don’t worry,” he says, softly, smiling reassuringly at her. “Everything’ll be alright. Promise.”

She looks down and away from her arm and mumbles to where Clint can hear, “promises are just broken lies.”

Bruce pauses for a moment, jaw clenching. Hadn’t he said something similar before, to people long since gone from his life? Promises are lies.

He furrowed his brow. “I don’t break my promises. I keep them,” he replied, determined. “I’m stubborn like that.”

She looks at him, “aren’t you scared being stubborn will get you killed?”

Bruce looked at her, and for a minute he didn’t know how to reply. “I certainly won’t be dying anytime soon,” he said, smiling softly. “So, no. I’m not worried.”

She looks at him as he slowly takes her soaked shirt off. She winces trying to keep her tears back as her wounds on her back reopen. She lets out a shaky breathe as he cleans the wounds, “you’re really brave then.”

Bruce looks to her, brow slightly furrowed. “Brave?” He didn’t think of himself as brave. “I dunno…I’m scared of stuff, same as anyone else,” he comments as he quickly bandages her back.

“But you’re not scared of being stubborn. You can get hit if you’re stubborn…a lot,” she says nodding her head.

Clint sits on the bed with them both, “Rebecca why don’t you try to get some sleep for the night ok.”

Bruce cringes slightly, before he nods, mustering up a small smile. “Yes, sleep would be good for you.” He says, putting away the rest of the first aid kit. “You can have the bed, Rebecca.”

Rebecca nods her head and begins to get under the covers. Clint looks at Bruce and follows him, “I’ll be right back I need Bruce to patch me up now,” he grins.

He follows Bruce into the bathroom and shuts the door, “Bruce what’s wrong?”

Bruce sets the first aid kit on the counter, absently pulling out some gauze and keeping his eyes down. “She just…reminds me of…me,” he says, quietly, and looks to Clint with a wary smile, face strained. “She’s been through a lot.”

Clint gives Bruce a kiss on the forehead, “babe don’t worry about it. She’s safe now and hey the world could do with some more Bruce Banner’s but I’m a little biased when it comes to that,” he grins as he holds his arm out for Bruce to wrap.

Bruce nods, very carefully cleaning Clint’s arm before he wraps it up. “Thank you for…keeping me from killing anyone today,” he says, softly, a small smile on his lips. “And for…a lovely day. It may not have ended how I’d hoped, but…” He shrugs.

Clint sighs dramatically, “I know I was supposed to make your bed rock,” he grins, “glad you had a good time wasn’t expecting to get a daughter but hey it’s alright we skipped a few steps,” he smiles giving him a kiss on the lips.

Bruce blushes, kissing him back gently, and chuckles. “We’ll have to save the bed rocking for a later date,” he says, sighing dramatically. “And I was so eager, too.” He snickers, smiling.

There’s a knock on the door and Clint opens it to look down at Rebecca, “you should turn the shower on if you’re going to have sex. It drowns out the noise a little,” she grins, “I need my beauty rest.”

Clint chuckles and picks her up, “come here you little demon,” he teases her as he lifts her up and takes her to bed tucking her in.

Bruce’s face burns red but he laughs, watching Clint tuck her in, standing to watch from a short distance. Clint looks like a real father…it’s almost too sweet to watch.

Clint leans down and whispers something to Rebecca and she nods her head.

“Bruce you want to say good night to Rebecca while I get changed into my PJs?”

Bruce blinks in surprise, before he nods, smiling. “Uh, sure,” he says, shuffling over to the bed and glancing between Clint and Rebecca.

Clint grabs his PJs and heads to the bathroom closing the door. Rebecca looks up at Bruce, “Clint says I’m not supposed to blurt stuff out like sex and stuff like that cause it makes you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”

Bruce blinked in surprise once more. “Oh, no, it’s okay,” he said, smiling softly. “It’s…true, I’m not very good with that kind of stuff, but it’s not your fault.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, gingerly, and patted her arm. “I’m just sensitive,” he said, chuckling.

“Oh…why are you sensitive? Everyone has sex and it’s not a bad thing to talk about. Am I not supposed to talk about it because I’m a kid? I got in trouble a lot for talking when I wasn’t supposed to.”

"No, no, you can speak your mind, trust me, I won’t stop you," Bruce replies, shaking his head. "I’m…" He pauses, rubbing his hands together nervously. "I have problems with…" Well, she was a blunt kid, so she might understand more than most. "I’m a very private person about things like that. Many people are not. I prefer it because it’s more serious to me."

She scrunches her brows confused, “how is sex serious?”

Bruce’s face goes a bit red, and he rubs a hand over his mouth. “Well, it’s…okay, well, it’s…/intimate/,” he says, trying to figure out he can word this to a /child/. “Something I would only ever…do with someone I loved.” He took a deep breath. “Understand? I take it seriously; some people don’t and that’s fine. But I take it seriously because it’s a…love thing.”

She sits up in the bed and looks at him, “you can say penis and vagina if you need to or sex I’ve heard a lot of different words for it. It doesn’t bother me. Why would you only do it with someone you love? Danny said he use to do it a lot because it made him feel good. Does love make the sex feel better?”

Bruce takes a deep breath, neck red with embarrassment. “It’s, um…well, okay, yes, people do it for pleasure most often but it’s…when you have…/it/, you are trusting someone to be very…close to you, and intimate, and I have a hard time…trusting people. So I would not do…that unless it was with someone I trusted deeply, someone I…loved.”

“Oh so you’re vulnerable during sex…then I’m never having it,” she says shaking her head.

Bruce shook his head. “I said the same thing. You and me, we’re a lot alike. And you might never want to; you’re too young to tell. But if you find someone you trust, and love?” He shrugged, glancing towards the bathroom, smiling. “Then you don’t feel vulnerable, you feel safe.”

“But how can you tell,” she asks, “how did you know you loved Clint and wanted to marry him and stuff?”

Clint comes out of the bathroom yawning.

Bruce looked at the blond fondly, before he looked back to Rebecca, sighing happily. “He made me feel safe,” he replies, smiling. “Made me feel safe and happy. That’s all that you need in love.”

Clint goes over to Brue and gives him a hug from behind, “aw what’s my freckles talking about now,” he asks.

Rebecca looks at Clint and smiles, “we were talking about love and sex and Bruce said that being safe and loved sex is the best.”

Clint grins and pecks Bruce on the cheek, “he ain’t wrong.”

Bruce blushes, but nestles back in Clint’s arms. “You’ll know when you come to it, Rebecca; don’t worry. Time passes.” He stroked Clint’s hand, gently where it wrapped around him, feeling loved.

Clint smiles and hugs Bruce before tapping him on the butt, “go get changed sexy and while you’re in there say the phrase. I’ll be able to tell if you said it or not.”

Bruce rolls his eyes, face still red, and grumbles. “Okay…” Before he goes and grabs his own PJ’s, heading into the bathroom.

Rebecca watches him go, before turning curious eyes on Clint. “The phrase?” She asks.

Clint looks over at Rebecca and grins, “he has to say in the mirror I Mr. Freckles am cute and sexy as fuck. He doesn’t believe it so it should help him believe it.”

She cocked her head to the side. “Why doesn’t he believe it? Does he think he’s ugly or something?”

“Eh I don’t know what he thinks,” he shrugs looking down at her, “he just had someone tell him he wasn’t cute, or handsome or anything nice for a long time so he began to believe it. Even when it’s not true.”

Rebecca made a face. “Luke used to call me ugly, ‘til I punched him in the nose. I got in trouble, but he didn’t call me ugly anymore.” She blinked up at Clint. “Did you punch those people for him? You should if you didn’t.”

Clint smirks, “well good for you punching him in the nose. Don’t tell Bruce I said that, he’ll want you to be nice and stuff when we get you into school,” he sighs, “I can’t punch all the people who called him ugly there’s just too many and some of them are protected.”

"But Bruce isn’t ugly. He’s really nice, too; cleaned my arms up and everything. Why would they be mean to him?" Rebecca frowned. "Are they all stupid or somethin’?"

He nods his head, “yeah they’re stupid alright. Bruce is just a really nice guy so when someone says something mean to him he brushes it off even though he was affected by it understand,” he asks trying to think of a better example. “Oh ok so when you were called ugly the first time you cried didn’t you and that showed that they got to you so you didn’t cry anymore when someone said you were ugly you just punched them in the nose.” He sighs, “well with Bruce he tries to hold it in and appear it doesn’t bother him when it really does.”

"I knew someone like that," Rebecca replied, eyes widening. "At the circus, this guy got messed with a lot by the main acts and he acted like he didn’t care at all, but he ended up offing himself with the sword swallowers sword." She looked worried. “That isn’t going to happen to Bruce, is it?”

Clint’s eyes widen as he pats her on the good arm, “no way. That’s not going to happen to Bruce. That’s why I’m making him say the phrase and give him lots of hugs and kisses so he knows he has a reason to stay.”

Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. “Good. Bruce is nice. I don’t want Bruce to do that.” She yawned, rubbing her eyes, and Bruce came out of the bathroom, scratching the back of his head, face red.

“I’m done,” he said, coming over to the bed.

Clint smiles and tucks her in, “don’t worry I’ll look out for him,” he smiles as he sees Bruce come out blushing. “Hmm by the sign of your blush I think you said it. You mind saying it to both of us. I’m sure Rebecca wants to hear you say it.”

Rebecca nods, smiling. “Yeah, let’s hear it!” She says, looking at Bruce expectantly, and Bruce clears his throat.

“Um…” He pauses for a moment, looking between the two, before he sighs. “I am cute, and…uh, damn sexy,” he says, ears red.

Clint claps for him, “yeah damn straight you are come on get in the bed with us,” he smiles.

Bruce shuffles over, still blushing, and rolls his eyes.

Rebecca giggles, smiling at Bruce. “Good job!” She says, trying to be encouraging so he doesn’t feel bad.

Clint snuggles up against Bruce, “aw is my little furnace heated up,” he grins before giving him a kiss on the cheek and rolling over, “night Bruce. Night Rebecca.”

"Night Clint!" Rebecca replies, stretching and turning onto her side, snuggling the pillow. Bruce shakes his head, reaching out to touch Clint’s shoulder, before he drifts off to sleep, smiling. "Goodnight."


	20. Heading Home

The next morning Rebecca is in-between both of them sprawled out on the bed while Clint’s foot is hanging off the bed and curled up at the top part of the bed near Bruce.

Bruce wakes up first, stifling a yawn as he looks across at Clint with a soft smile, and then looks at Rebecca, snoring with her black hair wild. He doesn’t want to move, and he carefully reaches over to tap a finger on the tip of Clint’s nose.

Clint whines and swats the finger away thinking it was a fly as he goes back to sleep.

Bruce snickers softly, shifting to run his fingers lightly up the side of Clint’s face. He wished he had some shaving cream to put on Clint’s hand; that’d be hilarious.

Clint groans and rubs his face turning over into a more awkward position.

Bruce snickers, deciding to leave him alone for now, and shifts into a sitting position carefully, not wanting to disturb their sleeping so he can get dressed in peace.

Clint begins to drool on the pillow. Rebecca groans and rubs her eyes getting up, “Bruce I’m hungry.”

Bruce had finished pulling on his clothes, and turns to Rebecca with a soft smile. “Wake Clint up for me and we’ll all go get breakfast, how’s that sound?”

She nods her head and jumps on Clint, “Clint wake up,” she yells giggling.

Clint twitches and falls on the floor, “the hell Becca?”

Bruce watches, laughing. “It’s time for breakfast, Clint; I just had Rebecca wake you up for me.” He shook his head, coming over to help Clint up. “Good job, by the way; he seems wide awake.”

Rebecca smiles and jumps over to Bruce smiling. Clint rubs his head and whines, “Bruce I need a kiss to make me feel better.”

Bruce smiles and kisses Clint’s cheek, “much better Derick,” he teases him getting up.

Rebecca looks at them confused, “I thought his name was Bruce?”

"It is," Bruce replied, snickering. "It’s a joke; I’m ‘Derick’, he’s ‘Clyde’." He looked over to Clint, dramatically throwing his arm around his shoulder. "And Clyde darling is my rich, loving husband."

“But I thought you both were rich already? You slept in a good hotel so you both have to be loaded right,” she asks tilting her head confused.

"I’m definitely not rich," Bruce replied, shaking his head with a smile. "No, I get all my money from Tony Stark’s credit card; I don’t really have a lot of money."

Her mouth opens widely, “Tony Stark? How do you know him?”

Clint groans and looks at Bruce to see if they should tell her, who they really are.

Bruce looks to Clint. “She’d learn sooner or later, right?” He frowns, a bit worried. “Well, I mean, we can’t lie to her, right?”

“Lie to me,” she asks worried as she backs away from them, “lie about what?”

Clint sighs, “Becca calm down it’s nothing bad. We’re superheroes, the Avengers…”

“No you’re not,” she says heading for the door, “you just said that last night to…to scare the ring leader.”

Clint holds his hands up, “Becca no we really are the Avengers. We’re not lying to you,” he says as she places her hand on the door knob.

"Rebecca, /no/," Bruce says, worriedly, though he doesn’t try to go after her. He knows that would only frighten her. "No, wait, Clint’s telling the truth. Tony Stark is our friend because, well, we’re Avengers. Clint Barton, Hawkeye, and Bruce Banner, the Hulk."

She looks at them both and crosses her arms, “prove it.”

“Rebecca I don’t have my bow on me it’s over there,” he says trying to walk towards her.

“No stay back…fine Bruce can turn green.”

Bruce’s eyes widen. “What? No, I can’t, that’s dangerous,” he says, looking between Rebecca and Clint, slightly desperate. “I-I can prove it, but not…not with Hulk, not here.”

“Why not all you do is turn green and get muscles?”

Clint looks over at Rebecca, “it’s more than that. He’s a whole new person. Rebecca let me get my box and I’ll prove I’m Hawkeye ok?”

Bruce nods, rubbing his hands together nervously. “Y-yeah, let him show you, he’s the best shot in the world,” he reassured her, trying not to worry. He wasn’t going to change yet. His time wasn’t up, he was fine.

Rebecca nods her head and stands by the door as Clint gets his bow. Before he has time to realize anything she’s already opening the door and running down the hallway to the stairs.

Bruce goes to the door, feeling panicked and upset. “Becca w-w-w-” he stammers over his words. “Wait! I’ll sh-show you, I’m s-s-sorry!” He feels his anxiety levels ratcheting up way too high. This is all his fault, he /scared/ her!

Clint drops his bow and goes to Bruce and grabs him by the shoulder, “Bruce breathe I’ll get her and bring her back try to calm down ok,” he says before rushing after Rebecca.

Bruce tries to breathe, his panic trying to overwhelm him as he closes his eyes. He messed up. He broke it, like everything. He broke it and it couldn’t be fixed.

Rebecca was running down the hall, heading for the stairs at the end of the hallway.

Clint spots Rebecca and sprint after her grabbing her from the waist and holding onto her as she struggles. “Becca, Becca, Rebecca,” he shouts, “calm down. Why’d you run?”

“Because you lied. You’re not superheroes,” she says tearing up, “liars are all the same.”

All his fault, all his fault, playing non-stop in Bruce’s head as he leaves their room, rubbing his temples to try and sooth the ache building inside his skull. He can’t change, not now, not here. His fault, but he can’t get Clint or Rebecca hurt. He has to go find them.

Clint give her an awkward hug since he has to hold her, “Rebecca we weren’t lying we were going to tell you when we got you out of here. We just didn’t want to freak you out understand?”

"You can’t /prove/ it," she said, kicking in his arms. "You’re liars and you can’t /prove/—"  
She’s cut off by a meek sound behind them.

“Um, Cl-Clint? I th-think you sh-sh-should, uh, get your tr-tranq arrow. I-I’m not—” He grunted, cringing, skin tinging green.

“Shit,” he says running over to Bruce Rebecca in his arms, “Bruce I’m right here man. You got this you can calm down. Do you really need that tranquilizer?”

Bruce tries to close his eyes, feeling dizzy and aching. “I-I—” He cuts off, taking deep, slow breathes, gripping Clint’s arm. “One minute. I-if I don’t c-calm down in one m-m-minute, get the tranqs.”  
This time, Rebecca doesn’t run; she stares, wide eyed.

“Ok freckles ok. Let’s go back to the room ok,” he says holding his arm before frowning. “Becca I have to hold onto Bruce now. Do you promise to come back to the room with us?”

Rebecca looks from the green tint of Bruce’s skin to Clint, nodding a bit numbly. “Yeah,” is all she can think to say as Clint sets her down and loops his arm with Bruce’s.

“You got this Bruce. We’re here and everything is safe.”

Bruce swallows, holding onto Clint like he’s a lifeline.

Clint wraps his arms around Bruce trying to ground him as they head back to the room. It takes some time but they make it to the room. Clint opens the door and lets Bruce inside first and lays him down on the bed, “you ok now buddy?”

Bruce presses his hands over his eyes, breathing slowly. “I-I’m fine. Just…just need a minute is all. Just need to…calm down.” He doesn’t open his eyes, just curls up carefully on the bed.

“Yeah,” he says rubbing his hands over Bruce’s arms, “do you want to tell me why you started Hulking out a little? You were doing good before I left.”

"I-I started p-panicking," Bruce replied, quietly. "I didn’t m-mean to, I just started…fr-freaking out. It was st-stupid, d-d-dangerous." He pulls his hands away from his face, eyes still a bit green about the iris’. "I’m sorry."

Clint shushes him and strokes his head, “Bruce it’s ok. Nothing happened and everyone is safe ok babe. Everything is fine you have nothing to apologize for.”

Bruce nodded, moving to press against Clint’s side, hiding his face. “Okay,” he murmurs, reassuring himself. “Everyone is okay.”

Rebecca watches from the doorway, eyes wide, staying quiet for just a moment. She just hurt Bruce. She almost let Bruce lose control because she ran away because she needed proof.

Clint keeps his focus on Bruce as he calms down. He gives him a kiss on the forehead, “yeah you’re safe freckles ok. You need a drink or anything?”

Bruce shakes his head, looking up at Clint, eyes completely brown again. “N-no, I’m okay,” he murmurs, kissing Clint briefly. “Th-thank you, Clint.”

Clint grins and kisses him back, “no problem freckles. Think you’ll be alright if I get up for a minute?”

Bruce nods, laying back and rubbing his eyes. “Yeah,” he murmurs, voice shaky. “I-I’ll be right…here.”

Clint gives him a kiss on the forehead before getting up and going over to Rebecca. He kneels down and whispers to her, “go talk to him.”

She nods her head and climbs on the bed and looks at Bruce, “why were you scared when you were turning green?”

Bruce pulls his hand away from his eyes, blinking in surprise at Rebecca. “I…” He pauses, frowning and glancing away. “I was scared you would run away. I was scared I-I was going to…ch-change and hurt someone. Which only made it…worse.”

“But you’re strong when you’re green. You don’t have to be scared,” she frowns, “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you…people lie a lot so it’s hard to tell the difference.”

Bruce shook his head, looking to her. “Don’t be sorry. I wouldn’t have believed us either.”  
He glanced down. “An-and when I’m big and green, it’s not me…It’s the Hulk. I go away until he let’s me back out and I was…I wasn’t let out for a long, long time at one point. It still scares me.”

She tilts her head, “Hulk? Why weren’t you let out a long time? That wasn’t nice. The ring leader use to lock me in the closet for a long time until we got to the next place. It wasn’t fun. Did Hulk make you stay in? I’ll teach him a lesson,” she says nodding her head.

"Hulk locked me in but it wasn’t his fault," Bruce replies, insistent on that part. "He was just scared to be locked up too. We share now, so we can both get out and live."

She looks confused, “how do you share a body?”

"I get one week, he gets the next," Bruce replied, shrugging slightly. "It’s not ideal, but there’s really no other way it can be done."

She looks down sadly, “so if Hulk came out your time would be up? I’m sorry.”

Bruce shook his head, reaching put to pat Rebecca’s hand. “No, don’t worry,” he says, smiling nervously. “It’s not your fault. I should’ve been able to stay calm. I was being emotional.”

“Were you mad cause I left? Cause that’s when Hulk comes out right when you get mad?”

Bruce looked up at Rebecca. “No, I wasn’t…mad,” he said, rubbing his hands together anxiously. “He comes out when I’m very emotional. Negative emotions, I should say. I wasn’t mad I was…worried you’d get hurt, sad I’d scared you…a bit angry at myself for making you think we were lying. But I wasn’t mad at you.”

“Why were you worried? I can take care of myself pretty good and I was mad cause I thought you lied. I didn’t think superheroes would take me away from there,” she frowns, “it was too good to be true.”

Bruce nods, leaning forward a bit. “You know, to be honest? I thought it was too good to be true when the Avengers found me, too. I thought they were going to lock me up and throw away the key any minute.” He shrugs, leaning back. “I understand trust issues. I understand why you were mad. But you’re young, and no matter how well you can take care of yourself I would always worry, because you’re not indestructible like me.”

“I can to take care of myself and I’m indestructible too…what does indestructible mean?”

"Indestructible is when you can’t be broken," Bruce replies, looking at Rebecca fondly. "When you can’t die, like me." He pokes her gently. “You’re indestructible in a very different way.”

She smiles, “but we’re both indestructible right.”

"Yeah," Bruce replies, smiling softly. "We’re both indestructible. You especially; you could kick butt any day of the week, yeah?"

She nods her head, “yeah…except for the ring master and some people at the circus but I still did good,” she smiles.

Bruce nods. “I know that feeling; there’ve been people who’ve gotten the better of me before, definitely. Even when you’re indestructible.”

“Wow really but you’re the Hulk,” she says pausing as her thought goes somewhere else “Bruce are you and Clint going to be my new daddies? I’ll be good and won’t run away again. I just thought you were lying…were you lying about being my new daddies?”

"We weren’t lying," Bruce said, looking to Rebecca with a small smile. "We want to take care of you; if you want us to be your parents we will be. But it’s up to you."

She nods her head, “yeah cause Clint didn’t like it when the ring leader used the whip so he won’t hit me and you let me have food too so I won’t go hungry right?”

"We won’t hurt you /ever/," Bruce says, looking at Rebecca with sad eyes. "We’ll take care of you, feed you, you don’t have to /worry/ about that anymore." He clenched his jaw. "No one will hurt you again, I promise."

“Cause Hulk and Hawkeye will take care of them,” she grins, “Bruce you don’t have to worry about me being a cock block. Danny use to say that all the time to me cause I would go to his room when he was with a lady and then he started leaving his mask on the door so I knew he was busy. You can do that when you want to have sex with Clint and I won’t bother you.”

Bruce’s face went a bit red, and he looked to the side. “I wasn’t, um, worried about it,” he replied, chuckling. “Clint would be the only one worried about that.”

“Why not?”

Clint comes back figuring they’ve had enough time to talk when he hears the last words from Bruce’s mouth, “I wouldn’t be worried about what?”

Bruce’s face goes even more red and he glances over at Clint. “Uh, nothing,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Clint grins, “doesn’t look like nothing freckles. What’s got you all red and bothered,” he says as he lays on Bruce’s shoulder.

"I was just reassuring Rebecca, is all," Bruce said, clearing his throat and trying to keep his blush at bay.  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. “He just said I don’t need to worry about being a cock block—said you’d be the only one worried about it.”

“Oh really Bruce,” he grins at him giving him a kiss on his earlobe teasing him, “you don’t have to worry about Rebecca at all about that. If there’s something on the door handle you’ll know what happening. You can still come in Rebecca just try to knock before you come in ok.”

Bruce huffed an embarrassed breath. “Clint, stop that,” he mumbled, rubbing at one red cheek, only to get a snort out of Rebecca.

“Don’t worry; I’ll keep out if there’s something on the door,” she smiles snuggling closer against Bruce.

“Yeah well you can come in for an emergency or if you get scared. Sex isn’t that important that we can’t comfort you alright Becca…just let us get situated before you barrel in,” he grins.

Bruce rolled his eyes, but Rebecca smiled and snuggled up to him that had to be a good sign.  
“Alright, I’ll make sure I knock,” she said, earning a smile from Bruce.   
“Well…that’s reassuring,” he said, rubbing his eyes with one hand, chuckling.

“Aw come on Bruce she’s a growing young lady she doesn’t need to see that stuff yet,” he smiles, “can we get breakfast now I’m hungry. Bruce,” he whines laying on his lap dramatically, “feed me.”

Bruce reached down and patted Clint’s cheek, smiling fondly. Rebecca bounced on the bed, grinning. “Yeah, let’s get food; I’m hungry.”

He looks up at Bruce and whines, “yeah Bruce feed us. Hungry,” he moans dramatically.

Bruce might have rolled his eyes so far he’d go blind if he could have, but instead he sighed and pushed Clint off of him, smirking. “Fine. Get up and we’ll get food, oh mighty Hawkeye.”

“Damn straight I’m mighty…the mightiest,” he says grinning putting on a pose. “I’m thinking a buffet breakfast so we can eat all the food.”

"The hotel serves that," Bruce replied, looking back at Clint and snickering. "You’re adorable," he says, smiling before he goes back to looking for his shoes.

“As long as it’s food, I don’t care,” Rebecca says, bouncing off the bed.

“Yeah me either,” he pauses and looks at Bruce, “hey should we care about what Rebecca eats? Isn’t that a parent thing to do?”

"As long as it’s within reason," Bruce said, shrugging slightly. "She can eat what she wants, but with limits like everyone has; no dessert without dinner and no snacks without actual meals. You know; normal stuff."

Rebecca made a face, “what if I don’t want dinner?”

“We make you something else?” Bruce shrugged.

“You can have breakfast for dinner,” Clint smiles before frowning, “when we get home you’re getting some new clothes.”

Bruce nods. “That’s a good idea.” He looks to Rebecca, smiling. “You can pick out what you’d want, too, since we have Tony’s card of magic. We’ll have a shopping trip.” Bruce glances over at Clint, chuckling. “Like our shopping trip, right Clint?”

Clint looks at him confused, “shopping trip? I’m pulling up a blank when did we go on a shopping trip?”

Bruce rolls his eyes. “The day you and the others made the Hulk let me out? I did make you wear a flower crown.” Bruce looks to Rebecca, shaking his head. “This mans memory is terrible.”

“Oh yeah flower crown power,” he grins remembering, “hey you can’t expect me to remember all that stuff. Sometimes I just zone out and let the words float over me,” he grins.

“Does that mean you don’t listen to Bruce,” Rebecca grins trying to get him in trouble.

“Eh…no?”

Bruce looked over to Clint, narrowing his eyes a bit. “So you /ignore me/?” He asks, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t really upset, but he wanted to see how Clint would react. “I guess that means the next time you want something /in bed/ I just won’t hear you.” It’s hard for him not to smirk.

“What freckles you know I don’t ignore you,” he pouts thinking he got in trouble, “Bruce come on I listen to you all the time. It just gets annoying when Captain tight ass keeps repeating the same things. ‘Don’t blow the robots up Hawkeye.’ ‘Don’t shoot Hawkeye.’ ‘Don’t fall off a building Hawkeye.’ Lots of don’t. ”

He growls, “it just gets so annoying and Tony chatter and trying to start shit so I just turn it off…literally actually,” he grins pointing to his hearing aids.

Bruce looks over to Clint, still acting upset for a moment. “Do /I/ annoy you?” He asks, knowing he’d have to give up the game in a moment. He doesn’t /actually/ want to worry Clint, but this is fun for now.

Clint pauses trying to think of the right answer, “um…sometimes? When you tell me to clean something. I don’t like cleaning stuff until it’s piled to the ceiling Bruce.”

"Oh, is that all?" Bruce asked, raising his eyebrows. "Tell me how you really feel, Clint," he said sarcastically. He wasn’t mad but oh god he suddenly wanted to see how far he could take this. He /never/ acted mad at Clint. This was quite a change.

Clint backs away and rubs the back of his head, “can’t we just get breakfast?”

Bruce breaks into a grin, snickering. “Way to avoid the question, Clint,” he says, laughing and looking to Rebecca. “And now you know how to scare Clint,” he says, holding out a hand to Rebecca, which she takes with a giggle. “Let’s go eat.”

Clint’s eyes widen, “hey wait a second were you teasing me? Not funny Bruce I thought you were really mad at me you jerk,” he says pouting.

Bruce goes over to Clint, kissing his cheek and smirking, nuzzling up to his side. “I’m sorry, that was mean; I just wanted to see how you’d react,” he said, snickering.

Clint sighs and pouts, “fine but I want another kiss before we leave for breakfast,” he says looking at him before stealing a kiss, “ok now we’re even Let’s get some food,” he cheers as he leaves out the door with Rebecca.

Bruce snickers as they go out for breakfast, stomach growling. He really is hungry, and he’s glad that the hotel does, in fact, serve a great breakfast buffet.

Clint goes over to the buffet with Rebecca and begins to load his plate, “Becca take as much as you want I’ll sneak it out if you don’t finish it,” he says excited.

"Okay!" Rebecca says, stacking her plate high and grinning.

Bruce smiles at them both softly, getting his own plate and putting on a few things, waiting for them before he goes to a table.

Clint head over to a table and sets his plates down, “ok are you ready to build your very own French toast cabin,” he asks as he begins to stack his French toast into a house. “boom oh no maple syrup is going to tear the house down oh no,” he says making sound effects before he feels eyes on him and looks at Bruce, “what?”

Bruce watches Clint quietly, cheek resting in his palm, gaze fond. “You’re a doofus,” he murmurs, sighing lovingly as he says it.

Rebecca giggles in her seat, eating her food and watching the exchange with interest.

“And you’re the one who married the doofus,” he grins eating a large bite of his French toast.

Rebecca just laughs at their exchange as she eats her food.

"I love my doofus," Bruce murmurs, eating his own food, nibbling at his toast in a distracted manner.

Clint chuckles and eats his food before he notices Bruce’s absent look, “hey freckles why are you eating like a bird?”

Bruce blinks, looking from Clint to his nibbled toast, and he shrugs, smiling softly. “Just thinking,” he says, taking an actual bite this time.

“Oh boy thinking Bruce? That doesn’t narrow it down at all man,” he teases, “what are you thinking about in that big brain of yours?”

"How happy you make me," Bruce murmurs, for once not ashamed at all as he smiles softly at Clint. "You’re like…the sun," he sighs, glancing down and smiling even wider. "I can’t look at you for too long or I’ll go blind."

Clint smiles and reaches in his pocket and hands Bruce a pair of his sunglasses before grabbing Bruce’s hand, “you can look at me all you want Freckles,” he says kissing him on the hand.

Bruce takes them, blinking, before he smiles and puts them on, laughing. “I love you, Clint,” he murmurs, face a bit red as he uses the hand Clint kissed to stroke his husbands cheek. “I love you so much.”

Clint smiles and kisses the inside of Bruce’s hand, “I love you too Bruce.”

Rebecca yawns loudly, “you guys are too lovey dovey it’s gross,” she says sticking her tongue out at them.

Bruce looks over to Rebecca and sticks out his tongue as well, laughing. “Well, I’m /sorry/ we’re so disgustingly sweet,” he says, before he leans over the table, pulling Clint closer by the collar to press kisses all over his face. “Love you sweetheart~” He sing-songs.

Rebecca cringes her face as they kiss, “ew gross.”

Clint just basks in the attention and puts on his Clyde voice, “oh thank you too dear. My little snookums little cupcake,” he grins. “Hey we are still on our honeymoon.”

"Oh, my darling, my sweetheart, you’re absolutely precious," Bruce says, Derick voice on as well. He kisses Clint on the lips, smiling. "Isn’t our love absolutely terrible, honey-dear? I think we’re mortifying poor little Rebecca with our sweet kisses."

She makes and face and pushes her food away, “I’ve just lost my appetite because of you two.”

Clint grins as he finishes kissing Bruce, “you don’t eat your breakfast you won’t get a treat later.”

Bruce snickers. “Yeah, you have to eat, even if we’re the grossest things in the world,” he says, moving back in his seat and smirking.

“But I don’t want to eat when you guys are kissing like that. It’s gross,” she says pouting.

Bruce snickers. “Fine. We’ll eat too; we can kiss more later.” He flashes her a smile. “Go ahead, we’ll behave, promise.”

She looks between them both and slowly raises the fork to her mouth. Clint grins and lets it out, “aw snookie poo don’t you look adorable today,” he teases Rebecca.

Bruce can’t help bursting out laughing, covering his mouth when other people glance over towards his outburst.

Rebecca glares at them both and crosses her arms, “I hate you both.”

Bruce pouts, fluttering his lashes at her. “But, Rebecca, you’re supposed to love us!” He says, pressing a hand over his heart and looking to Clint. “Are darling-putootie-sweatie-pie doesn’t love us, Clint!”

Her face begins to turn red, “for fucks sake stop it already you’re embarrassing me and yourselves.”

Clint looks over at Bruce and smirks as other people just heard a little girl cuss, “Becca don’t use that language at the table.”

Rebecca smirks, “fuck no.”

Bruce’s eyes widen slightly in surprise, and he wrinkles his nose. “Don’t talk like that, it’s rude,” he says, scowling slightly.

Rebecca doesn’t stop and keeps letting off curses some that would make even Clint blush. Clint picks Rebecca up and puts her on his lap, “you want to act like a baby we’re going to treat you like one,” he says as he begins to spoon feed her.

Bruce watches with wide eyes, aware of the looks they’re getting and shaking his head.

Rebecca struggles in his grip, “stop treating me like a baby,” she says struggling.

“Stop acting like one and I will.”

Bruce watches them, sighing when Rebecca looks over at him.

“Make him let me go,” she nearly shouts struggling in his arms.

“His rules; you gotta behave or he won’t. I don’t control him,” he says sipping his tea.

She takes a deep breath and sighs, “fine…I’ll be good…please let me go,” she asks Clint.

Clint nods his head and lets her go back to her seat. She picks at her French toast before throwing it at Clint. It land on his face and in his hair, “ha now we’re even.”

Bruce let’s out another deep sigh, before he cracks a small smile, turning once more to his food. “You’re a little monster, aren’t you?” He says, chuckling softly as he glances from Rebecca to Clint.

She grins and nods her head as Clint wipes the food from his face, “yeah but she’s our little monster Bruce.”

"She is," Bruce said, smirking. "I’d say she gets it from you but that’s not quite a possibility yet." He snickered. "Give it a few months and I’m sure you two will be carbon copies of each other."

Clint pouts and says, “aw come on Bruce she might like the labs or have an interest in science,” he says looking over at Rebecca who is playing with her food, “or she’ll be nice like you freckles.”

"Maybe," Bruce said, smiling softly. "She seems to already be as wild as you, though, Clint."  
Rebecca sticks her tongue out at Bruce, but grins.

Clint rolls his eyes, “hey Rebecca you know what Bruce does? He makes cures and stuff in labs and sometimes he blows stuff up but mostly that’s Tony sounds cool doesn’t it,” he smiles at her before grinning at Bruce, “oh and he loves to play doctor don’t you freckles.”

"So you’re like a mad scientist?" Rebecca asks, grinning as she leans forward on the table, and Bruce just rubs the back of his neck, shrugging.

“I mean, sometimes I guess things explode and it kinda makes me a mad scientist,” he says, chuckling nervously.

“And you’re a doctor? Like, Doctor Bruce? Cool.”

“Yeah he is cool isn’t he Rebecca,” Clint grins, “see you have a science buddy for lab now. Keep her away from Tony,” he says seriously.

"Tony wouldn’t blow her up and you know it," Bruce says, rolling his eyes and sighing. "If she’s going to be in the lab, then you should teach her how to shoot a bow. Smart and strong wins every race."

Rebecca bounces in her seat, excited. “Can I blow stuff up /and/ shoot a bow?”

“Bruce he blows himself up and Rebecca doesn’t need to be in the blast,” he sighs. “Yeah sure Becca you can learn how to use a bow and arrow. It will be a lot of work. You won’t use a compact bow at all.”

Rebecca was excited. “Okay! I don’t mind, I worked hard a lot at the circus, it’ll be like normal except without as much yelling, right?”

“Yeah not as much yelling,” Clint chuckles, “you’d have to wake up and start with exercises first before you can use the bow.”

Rebecca nodded, looking thoughtful. “So I gotta get big and strong before I can shoot the bow, then?” She grins, looking to Bruce. “I’ll be Hulk strong!”

Bruce shakes his head, but he’s smiling. “Not too strong, now; can’t have you beating me on the ‘strongest person alive’ front.”

Clint laughs, “aw come on Bruce she just wants to be like the Hulk,” he smiles as the bill comes and he pays for it. “Hey let’s sneak some food before we head back to relax.

Bruce rolls his eyes, but Rebecca grins. “I can be sneaky!” She says, happily. “I used to be able to crawl through the acrobats tents and steal their outfits before shows. It was always funny to see them freak out looking for them.”

Clint looks over at Rebecca and nods his head getting his card back, “yeah I can see that. I can definitely see you doing it,” he smiles as he takes an apple and banana and hides them as they leave the buffet. “Come on Bruce let’s go sleep this off,” he grins.

"You’re both little delinquents," Bruce says as Rebecca shoves her own snatched food into her pocket, whistling out of tune as they walked. "Whatever am I going to do with you?"

“Love us,” grins Bruce as he enters the elevator as his phone goes off. It’s a call from Natasha, “oh boy it’s Natasha.” Clint takes a deep breath before he answers, “hey Nat what’s up?”

Bruce doesn’t catch much but he /does/ catch quite a bit of shouting from the other end, mostly Natasha growling about how /long/ they’ve been gone and how this is /not/ the time, and how Clint still has to do his debriefing, and, wait, where the /hell/ are you guys anyways?

Bruce cringes at the shouting a bit.

Clint cringes as he listens to Natasha chew him out, “oh come Aunt Natasha don’t be like that. Look we can fix the paper work when we all get home. I’m sure it’s going to work out…I think it will at least?”

"A /kid/, Clint—what the /hell/ are you two thinking?!"

Bruce glances down at Rebecca, smiling reassuringly. “You’ll like Natasha. She’s just pissed at Clint; she’ll love you.”

“I’m going to kick your ass, Clint, and then I’m going to kick Bruce’s ass, just for the hell of it. Get home. Soon.” She hung up with a click.

“What did you want me to do we couldn’t just leave them there and you’ll make a great aunt Natasha…Natasha,” he asks the phone and closes it. “Uh change of plans we’re getting airplane tickets home now.”

Bruce tries not to snicker. “Natasha’s going to eat you alive when we get back,” he says, looking down to Rebecca. “You ready to go see you’re new home? You’ll like it, I promise; you get your own room and everything.”

“Maybe…unless I tell her not to kill me otherwise you’ll be a widow and so soon too,” he puts on a sad face, “Bruce you’ll protect me from her won’t you,” he says dialing a number on his phone.

Bruce smiles. “Of course; I love you too much to feed you to the spiders, hun.” He kisses Clint’s cheek. “I will allow her to beat you up, though; she’d eat me too if I didn’t.”

Clint whines as he gets a ring tone, “yeah I need plane tickets to New York, three of them…today… yes I do have a credit card,” he grins pulling out Tony’s credit card giving the information over the phone, “alright cool thanks,” he says hanging the phone up. “We got a flight out of here this afternoon.”

"Let’s get packed," Bruce says as they head out of the elevator and to their room.

“How far is it?” Rebecca asks as they enter the room, Bruce tossing his jacket onto the bed as he heads for the suitcases.

“How far is what Becca,” asked Clint as he began to help Bruce pack.

"Our home? How far is it from here?"

Bruce glances up from his packing. The fact she said ‘our’ home warms his heart so much he can hardly stand it.

Clint pauses in his packing and looks at her smiling, “uh I think it’s about 2000 and some miles away from here,” he pats Bruce on the back, “ain’t that right freckles.”

Bruce had still been distracted, and he nodded absently. “Yeah, sure,” he said, before he grinned. “It’s not too far; we’ll be there in no time.”

“Good,” Rebecca said, going over to bounce on the bed. “I wanna blow stuff up with arrows!”

Clint looks at Bruce worried, “did you tell her about the exploding arrows, cause I didn’t? Ha you can’t blame this one on me Bruce,” he grins as he picks Rebecca up, “Becca you need to do us both a favor and start putting your things on the bed so we can pack them in our suitcases alright.”

Rebecca nods, bouncing on her toes as she goes to grab the few things she has. Bruce is busy folding his clothes, humming absently as he does.

Clint is packing his suitcase and stealing a few things from the hotel as he puts Rebecca’s things in his suitcase. He finishes packing and sits on the bed, “ok Rebecca do a check to make sure you have everything.”

"Okay!" Rebecca says, going over to the suitcase to check, before she pauses, frowning. "Uh, where’d I put it," she says, scowling as she glances around.

“Put what?” Bruce asks, looking to her curiously.

“My picture!” She says, looking through the suitcase, and then to the floor, looking around, worried.

Clint begins to look around, “you had it with you when you came with us. Where did you have it last?”

"Uh, uh, I dunno," she says, patting at her pockets. "Before bed I think, but I’m not sure where."  
Bruce looks around too, worriedly. “Don’t worry, we’ll find it.”

“We’re not going to leave it until we find it,” says Clint as he begins to look under the blankets on the bed.

Bruce looks around, worriedly, before he sees something peeking out from underneath the bed, going over to pluck it up. “Is this it, Rebecca?”

Rebecca looks over at Bruce and runs to him, “Yes yes thank you Bruce,” she says hugging his leg tightly.

The picture was a picture of her family before she came to the circus. She never knew what had happened if her mother had sold her for food or if she was kidnapped. It didn’t matter that was the only picture of her family.

Bruce looked at it curiously, before looking down at her. “This is your family?” He asked, though he knew the answer.

She nods her head, “yeah they use to be…but I still like looking at the picture and knowing I had a family before the circus,” she smiles grimly.

Bruce looks over to her, a bit sadly. “I know what you mean,” he replies, glancing down. “It’s good to hold onto those memories, though.”

She nods her head, “I’m ready now,” she smiles.

“Alright good Bruce we have everything packed even the certificate,” he grins.

Bruce smiles over at Clint, fixing his glasses. “Alright, good; don’t want to forget anything here. That’d be annoying.”

“Yeah it would be annoying come on let’s head out to the airport,” he said grabbing the bags, “Bruce can you check us out while I get the suitcases and find a cab?”

Bruce nods as he follows after Clint, waving to Rebecca. “Come on; you can stay with me while Clint hails a cab,” he says, smiling.

She nods her head and follows Bruce to the checkout desk and watches him check out of the room. “Bruce how long do we have to ride on the plane?”

"A couple hours," Bruce replies as he checks them out, smiling at the receptionist before he turns to Rebecca. "Why?"

“Because I don’t like sitting still for a long time,” she frowns.

Clint sees Bruce and Rebecca and waves at them to come over to the cab.

Bruce heads over to Clint with Rebecca. “Don’t worry; you can get up and go to the bathroom whenever you feel antsy; maybe do a bit of bouncing around in there if you feel you need to.”

She nods her head, “ok Bruce.”

Clint scoots over to let them all get in first before telling the cab driver to drive them to the airport.

“You excited to be heading home freckles?”

"I’m not heading home," Bruce says with a small smile, looking over to Clint. "You’re right here." It’s cheesy he knows it, but he feels dopily happy.

Clint looks at him before giving him a goofy grin and hugging, “aw Bruce you say the best things.”

“Stop acting so lovey dovey,” says Rebecca who is squished between both of them.

Bruce smiles down at Rebecca. “Aw, Rebecca, you’re my home /too/,” he says, ruffling her hair teasingly. “Don’t be so /grumpy/.”

“I’m not grumpy it’s just weird that you guys love each other and kiss and hug a lot,” she sighs as she fixes her hair, “I’m not use to it.”

Bruce nods. “I wasn’t used to it at first either,” Bruce replies, shrugging. “I got used to it. Hopefully you will too, or you’re going to be grumpy with us a lot.”

“I’ll be grumpy a lot then,” she says playfully pouting.

Clint grins, “all is little sugar muffins feeling left out,” he says giving her kisses on her head.

Bruce grins, snickering. “We’re sorry, dumpling, we won’t leave you out!” He kisses her cheek, laughing.

“Argh Clint, Bruce…is it ok if I call you both dad? I can just call you by your name so I don’t confuse you right?”

"You can call us whatever you’d like, so long as it’s not mean," Bruce said, smiling fondly.

She smiles, “so I can call you freckles?”

“No that’s my nickname for Bruce.”

“Why can you only use it? Is it a name you use when you two have sex?”

Bruce’s entire face turned red, and he coughed. “Um,” was all he managed, glancing over at Clint. He was not about to head into that territory. Even if it was a bit too true.

“Kind of we use that nickname and others. It’s just an extra I love you when I say freckles to him.”

She nods her head as the cab stops at the airport, “ok got it.”

Clint helps get the bags, “yeah plus it’s our last names so there is that too,” he grins at Bruce.

Bruce smacked his forehead. “We need to get that changed,” he said, shaking his head as he helped Clint with the bags. “I mean, I can’t have people calling me Doctor Freckles. It definitely doesn’t work with the seriousness I try and give off.”

“Oh come on Bruce do you really want to be Dr. Green because that will scare and get people to take you seriously,” he grins as they make their way to the loading dock and check their bags.

"I prefer Doctor Banner, thank you very much," Bruce replies, smiling. "Though I /could/ be persuaded to take Doctor Barton. It’s not too different."

“Hmm that does have a good ring to it so does Clint Banner,” he smiles as they find a spot to sit as they wait for their flight.

Bruce sits down, grinning. “I like the sound of that,” he replies. “Makes sure everyone knows you’re /my/ husband.”

“Hmm that does sound like a good plan,” he smiles as the taxi driver stops at the airport drop off.

“That’ll be thirty dollars and tweny five cents,” the cab driver says.

“I got it Clint don’t worry,” says Bruce as he pays the driver before helping Clint get the bags out of the taxi.

Rebecca hops out of the car and looks around at the airport, “whoa it’s so huge.”

“Yes it is. Just hold my hand until we find out where our gate is,” replies Bruce as he grabs Rebecca’s hand so he won’t lose her.

“You got everything babe,” asks Clint carrying a few bags.

“Yeah we’re ready,” he smiles as they begin to walk through the airport to their destination.

Hours pass as they wait for the plane. They get Rebecca a game to play as they wait to get their ride. Rebecca is able to entertain herself for an hour or so before getting bored with the game and just sits on the chair sighing dramatically.

“You know sighing doesn’t make time move faster,” chuckles Bruce.

“But it’s fun and I’m bored,” she groans, “why’s it taking so long…” she asks before the flight attendant comes to the desk and begins to call seat numbers.

“Finally,” she smiles getting a bag.

“Will Mr. Freckles, report to the ticket station,” says the attendant by the gates.

Clint chuckles, “you sure you don’t want our last name to be Mr. Freckles sure has a nice ring to it,” he laughs as he heads to the desk to fix the problem with their tickets.

Bruce rolls his eyes, trotting up after Clint and glancing down at Rebecca. “What would you rather be? A Freckle, or a Barton, or a Banner?” He was hoping she’d say Barton, but he wasn’t sure.

She shrugs her shoulders, “I don’t care as long as you both keep me,” she smiles.

Bruce chuckles. “Well, then I guess we’ll have to figure this name dilemma out on our own,” he says, smiling at her. “You’re not going anywhere, by the way; I’m too attached. I’d be heartbroken.”

Rebecca smiles and gives Bruce a hug around his waist, “thank you Bruce and Clint.”

“Hey no problem Becca,” said Clint as he got their new tickets.

They start calling the seats and soon it is time for them to get on the plane and head home.

Bruce takes Clint’s and Rebecca’s hands as they head for the plane, only slightly nervous about the flight. He never liked planes. “Well, Stark Tower, here we come, eh?”

Rebecca nods her head and holds onto both their hands as they get on the plane.


End file.
